


Knight to King Three

by MadHatter2019



Category: Alternate Universe - Fandom, James Bond - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Assassins, Espionage, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Original Character(s), Reference to sexual assault
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-11 15:21:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 31,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19541530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadHatter2019/pseuds/MadHatter2019
Summary: When the Assistant Director of MI6 is almost assassinated, agent Jack Barton has no choice but to enlist the help of his boss's daughter.  Willa Mercer is attractive, witty, and hiding a dark secret.  Can Jack enlist the help of a woman he did not know existed?  Will the secrets that haunt her from her past put them both in danger?





	1. The White Queen

London, United Kingdom

Jack Barton paced in an interior office on the Southbank of the Thames River while waiting for his appointment. It was the first time he had ever been summoned to the Assistant Director’s office. Normally Jack would not have minded, but he was in the middle of an important assignment, both of which lent to his lack of calm. The director’s secretary barely kept her smile stifled as she worked, but Jack could hear her chuckle every once in a while. She was certain he would wear a hole in the carpet soon, but Jack’s reprieve came in the form of her phone ringing.  
“Yes, sir?”  
“Send in Mr. Barton.”  
“Yes, sir”, she said before replacing the receiver and tipping her head toward the door that lead to an inner office.  
Jack straightened his tie and opened the door that adjoined the two offices to find Assistant Director Henry Phillips sitting at his desk looking over some paperwork. He acknowledged Jack’s presence but did not immediately speak to him, giving Jack time to look around. The office did not have any exterior windows but instead was lined with shelves containing a large number of books. Jack could make out volumes including John Locke’s Treatise on Government and several works by Shakespeare.  
“Have a seat, Barton.”  
“Yes, sir”, Jack said as he was pulled out of his quiet observations and chose a chair across from his boss.  
“I have been informed that you have made progress on your assignment.”  
“Yes, sir. We have isolated a cell of Russian agents who have been staying in White Chapel with contacts in Brussels and Paris.”  
“Excellent. It looks like I will be joining your team temporarily, Mr. Barton.”  
“Sir?”  
“I was sent this encoded message two days ago from an old friend”, Director Phillips said as he handed a sheet of paper across the desk.  
“An old friend”, Jack asked as he looked over the message which included a meeting time and coordinates.  
“Of sorts. He’s an ex-KGB agent that I knew from the last few years of the Cold War. We were involved in a rivalry of sorts that eventually became a friendship after retirement. He will be in London tonight with something that will assist us in stopping the steady flow of drugs and money into our country.”  
“Sir, you know this could be a trap. I have some of our best agents on my team, let me send one of them in.”  
Henry chuckled at Jack’s offer and stood to walk to the bookshelf behind his desk. It held several pictures including one of his boss with an arm around a young woman. He picked it up and sighed heavily.  
“You’re absolutely correct, and I appreciate the offer, Jack”, he said, dropping the formalities. “Unfortunately, he will only meet with me. Yuri and I have corresponded often over the years, though I am sure he still has connections in Putin’s cabinet.”  
“Then why take the bait?”  
“The information he has could be extremely useful. Your team will be monitoring the entire meeting, but I must meet him alone.”  
“Where?”  
“The Walrus and the Carpenter on Monument.”  
“A very public place.”  
“Yes, exactly. I’m taking a car there at seven this evening, so you do whatever you need to do to prepare. The team need not know the details, only that they are protecting me for a meeting.”  
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”  
“If anything goes wrong, I want you to open this letter and follow the instructions to locate my daughter.”  
“I wasn’t aware you had children, sir.”  
“The letter will explain everything”, Director Phillips said, ignoring Jack’s question and handing him an envelope. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”  
“Shouldn’t someone else inform next of kin?”  
“Every person in this line of work has a sense when their number is up, Mr. Barton. Unfortunately, I have the distinct feeling that this might be mine. If that is the case, Willa will need more than a notification…”  
“She’ll need protecting”, Jack said matter-of-factly.  
“I’m not sending you for protection, she is more than capable of protecting herself. You’ll need Willa to finish this if I’m not able.”  
“Sir, I don’t understand…”  
“You will. Now my daughter is quite headstrong, so she may be resistant to coming back to London no matter the circumstance. She’s not the trusting sort.”  
“Yes sir”, Jack said, being left with no alternative but to trust Director Phillips on the subject. Instead, he left the office quickly to prep his team for their assignment. If the Assistant Director wanted to handle this one, that was his prerogative, but Jack was determined he would have the best protection they could manage. He did not know that the meeting was the least of their problems.

Forty-Eight Hours Later—New Orleans, U.S.A

Jack sat a small table in The Tipsy Pig nursing a tumbler of Scotch and watching the crowd. He was quite impressed with the establishment as the interior displayed that of a proper British pub, even though the exterior was rather unassuming. The bar was decorated in Victorian-style wallpaper with an oak bar in the back of the expansive room. There were tables for diners, a stage for live music, and what appeared to be a poker room upstairs. Jack was quite impressed with the bar but maintained his focus on locating the owner. After leaving his boss’s office two days prior, Jack had attempted to find any information on Willa Phillips with little success even with all of the resources at his disposal. She essentially did not exist until the age of twenty-two when she enrolled at Cambridge pursuing a double major in Business and Computer technology. After graduating with high honors, Willa Phillips had moved back to the United States, took up her mother’s maiden name again, and purchased the bar he was now sitting in.  
It was not until he boarded the plane to leave London that a manila envelope had been messengered to him containing a vague file on Willa Mercer. It seems she had lived in the United States with her maternal grandparents using their name starting at the age of eight. Upon reaching her teen years, Willa had gotten into serious trouble with law enforcement from the looks of the criminal history provided to Jack, though most of her crimes had been redacted. By the age of fifteen, Willa had fallen off the grid all together under either last name, only to reappear as a college student seven years later. Jack realized very quickly that his boss had gone to a lot of trouble to hide his daughter for most of her life. He was pondering this thought when he saw her walking through the door, checking the photograph in her file for verification. Willa had her dark blonde hair pulled back in a high pony tail that hit the middle of her back and was wearing a calf-length, black trench coat over a plum-colored blouse, dark jeans, and high-heeled boots.  
Willa walked out of the sunshine of the French Quarter and into her bar, taking her Aviator sunglasses off with the hand not carrying a black briefcase. Customers had started rolling in as the sun was lowering, and it was going to be a busy evening. Willa was glad she had taken the last few days off to relax before her monthly poker game this evening. A new player was playing, making it even more important that Willa’s appearance match her reputation as an imposing businesswoman. The trench coat she had chosen was light-weight, black wool in a dove-tail, Victorian-style with brass buttons on the sleeve. The heeled boots giving a boost to her sixty-three inches, making her a little more intimidating to those who did not know her well.  
Jack watched as her two managers walked up to her, replace her briefcase with a cup of coffee, and began speaking to her. He watched Willa nod before moving toward the stairs that led upstairs to where, Jack assumed, the poker room was located given the staff activity he had witnessed. The monthly poker game was well-known in the city, not only for the whales it attracted, but just also for Willa’s reputation as a no-nonsense owner. The latest rumor being that the last guy who was caught cheating left the bar with a broken hand and a lifetime ban on ever returning. Jack shook his head with a scoff, not believing that the tiny woman he had just seen was capable of it, but rather that she hired muscle. Funnily enough, Jack had not seen a trace of anyone that fit that line of work anywhere in the bar. When one of Willa’s manager, a young woman named Kristen, came back downstairs and walked past him, Jack flagged her down. After only a few words of conversation, she led him upstairs to wait in Willa’s office before she informed her boss that there was a visitor.  
Willa stood inside the poker room sipping her coffee and looking over the order of liquor needed to restock the bar after tonight’s game as employees bustled around her, setting up tables, chairs, and chips for the game. When Kristen hurried in to speak to her, Willa barely looked up from the paperwork in front of her.  
“Willa, there is a guy from the British government in your office. He has identification, though I don’t recognize it, and says it’s a matter of emergency that he talks to you.”  
“Did he say why?”  
“No, but Carla says that he’s been downstairs since the doors opened.”  
“Fine”, Willa said with a frustrated shake of her head, not wanting to waste time given the business of the evening and headed toward her office.  
Willa’s eyes were still on the order list as she walked in the door, glancing up quickly at the back of his head, before going around the desk and sitting down, still reading the order report. Jack chuckled, noticing how much she resembled her father in this aspect. The whole situation was reminiscent of his meeting just two days prior in London. Willa heard him chuckle, bring her gaze from behind her papers to take a good look at the man sitting across from her as she relaxed back in her chair and sat the papers down on her desk. Gauging his height to be well over six feet, the man wore a smart black suit and red tie. His dark, brown hair was parted on the side and quite long, landing well below his ear but not quite touching his collar. It looked as if it could fall over his eyes if it had not been combed back. Jack looked every inch of a professional that Willa expected to find her father’s employment, including blue eyes that were devoid of any emotion besides humor.  
“How can I help you Mr…”  
“Jack Barton”, he replied as he pulled his identification out of his pocket and showing it to Willa. She instantly recognized it as the same type of I.D. that her father carried.  
“I work for your…”  
“I know exactly who you work for, Mr. Barton,” Willa said, cutting him off and narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion. Her father was not one to send complete strangers to see her under any circumstance, and MI6 would not have sent a field operative to give her a death notification either. With her existence being something of a well-kept secret, only a few people were privy to her location. Willa was, at times, more of a ghost than the agent sitting before her.  
Jack could see Willa analyzing the situation and remained quiet, giving her time to form her own conclusions while he formed a few of his own. The woman before him exuded confidence with a bearing very similar to her father. It was her green eyes with a hint of steel that caught his attention immediately. Jack had no doubt that those eyes could shower you with warmth or send you running for cover in a second given the right circumstances. He also noticed an edge about her that he did not expect. Willa’s question broke the mental battle of wits that seemed to fill her office.  
“Where is he and what happened?”  
“Your father’s being treated in a secure hospital for two gunshot wounds to the chest after work dinner went south.”  
“His condition”, Willa asked, only her eyes registering a momentary look of concern. Her relationship with Henry Phillips had been far from conventional, but she did in fact, love him very much.  
“Critical but stable. A few hours before your father left for dinner, he instructed me to give you this if anything were to happen to him,” Jack said as he handed her a folded index card that had been inside the envelope Henry had given him. Willa opened it and read the Russian script that was written inside before looking back up at Jack.  
“Have you read this?”  
“Of course, but I do not understand it’s meaning.”  
“Hm-mmm”, Willa said but did not say anything else as she looked at the note. Jack was about to ask her a question when Kristen walked into the office.  
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Willa, but Mr. Stavros just arrived. Chief Hartley is also here to have a word.”  
“Okay,” Willa said with a nod before looking up at Jack.  
“Thank you, Mr. Barton, for bringing me this. Please feel free to have a meal and a drink on the house.”  
“That’s it?”  
“I have some arrangements to make and a business to run. Kristen will take good care of you.”  
Willa stood and left the office without another word to Jack, leaving him with no alternative but to follow Kristen back downstairs. Jack settled himself at a high-top table and watched Willa as she went about her evening, showing no signs that she had received upsetting news. The woman barely sat still the entire six hours, whether standing in the poker room doorway to check on her players or on the pub floor checking her customers, Willa managed the place with ease. She brooked no misbehavior from her customers or employees alike, and everyone treated her with the upmost respect.  
Jack was served dinner on the house with Thomas, Willa’s other manager, checking on him regularly. After walking outside to smoke a cigarette, Jack came back in to find the last of the poker players saying their goodbyes to Willa. After a goodbye kiss on the cheek to a Mr. Stavros, Willa waited until the bar was empty, save Jack and the employees, to let out a relaxed breath and shed the trench coat. Seeming to have forgotten that Jack was still inside the bar, Willa hopped up on the bar to sit with one leg tucked under her and the other handing off the front of the bar. Kristen stood nearby with a laptop, ready to input the nights’ totals, while Willa sat counting out the tills and her percentage from the poker game.  
“Ms. Mercer?”  
“You’re still here,” Willa muttered, a statement more than a question.  
“Your father’s instructions were clear…find you, protect you, and bring you to London.”  
A ghost of a smile appeared on Willa’s face as she looked up at him in amusement.  
“While I highly doubt that protection was part of your assignment, there is a big difference between you and I.”  
“And that would be?”  
“You have to follow his instructions because he’s your boss, Mr. Barton. On the other hand, my father has not been an authority figure in my life since I was eighteen.”  
“So, you won’t come with me?”  
“I need a few days to get things together, so I suggest checking into a hotel if you plan on waiting. If not, I am more than capable of getting to London without your help.”  
Jack could tell that arguing with her would not change her mind, so he fished a card out of his pocket and handed it to her.  
“I’m staying at The Roosevelt Hotel. Please call me when you’re ready to leave.”  
“Have a good night”, Willa said, dismissing him with a nod. She looked back down at her work without another glance. Jack took his cue to leave and stepped out into the early morning air to find mist wafting through the French Quarter with the intention of going straight back to his hotel to grab some sleep. He made it half a block before his instincts kicked in with the feeling that he was being watched. With the hair on the back of his neck standing on end, Jack ducked into an alley and doubled-back to watch the front of the bar. Willa came walking out of the bar fifteen minutes later, coat back on and briefcase in hand, and crossed the street without hesitation. Jack waited several seconds and then followed Willa down the street, attempting to keep her in his sight while not giving the impression that he was following her, no easy task with fog rolling in.  
Willa walked up to her building and inside without a backward glance. Usually Willa loved the mist that so often flowed through the French Quarter, but today if felt filled with eerie ghosts from her past. It was a past that was filled with secrets that were supposed to stay buried, but it was not meant to be it seemed. Willa pondered all of these things as she climbed the steps to her second-story apartment and opened the door. Her apartment was a spacious 2-bedroom, 19th Century flat with crown molding and French accents. It was all very soothing for her with muted tones and antique wall hangings. She poured herself a glass of whiskey and walked to the tall, French doors that led to her balcony to look outside.  
Willa found Jack exactly where she expected him to be standing and raised her drink at him, letting him know that she had been aware of his presence the entire time. Jack smirked and shook his head at the woman above him, baffled at how she had known he was tailing her. With a two-fingered salute, Jack turned and disappeared into the mist as he walked back to his hotel. Willa finished her drink, showered, and climbed into her queen-size bed with an uneasy feeling that something was off but unable to put her finger on what was bothering her. Pushing the uneasiness aside, Willa reached up and shut off her bedside lamp and quickly fell asleep.

Willa had been asleep for several hours when she awoke suddenly with an uncomfortable feeling. She sat up quickly and looked around her dark bedroom, instincts kicking in as she grabbed the .45 caliber pistol on her bedside stand. Willa stood up quietly and made her way out to the living room but failed to check the blind spot as she entered the living room and was grabbed from behind. Her attacker wrapped his arms around hers and knocked the gun out of her hands. Willa struggled as she was lifted off her feet and thrown across the room. She flew into the wall and landed on her back but barely had a moment to catch her breath before the attack was on top of her with his hands around her throat.  
Willa struggled to breathe and began to lose consciousness as her arms grasped out for anything to help her. In the back of her mind, Willa realized she was next to the small table with a large vase on it. Willa grabbed the leg of the table and knocked the vase off next to her. It broke into several pieces revealing a switch blade that Willa grabbed and opened. With black closing in, Willa jammed the blade into her attacker’s ear and took a gasping breath when his hands loosened on her throat as he fell on her, dead. She took in several more breathes before shoving the man off and scooting backwards, away from the body until she was next to the wall. Willa sat there for several seconds, staring at the dead body, before she stood and walked to her kitchen to pick up her cordless phone and call Chief Hartley.  
“I’m sorry to wake you, Matt. I was just attacked in my home.”  
“Are you okay?”  
“A little banged up. The intruder is dead.”  
“I’ll be right there and don’t touch anything.”  
“Can you send a car to pick up a Jack Bartonat the Roosevelt Hotel?”  
“Okay? Why does he need to be there?”  
“He works for my father and is most certainly involved in this whole mess.”  
“You’ll have to explain that to me later, but yeah, I’ll send a patrol car for him.”

Willa sat at her kitchen table until she heard sirens approaching her apartment. By the time Matt and three police officers entered her apartment through the door she had left open, Willa was standing in full view of them by the archway that led from the living room to the kitchen. Matt walked in wearing sneakers, basketball shorts, and a black t-shirt, indicating that he was off-duty and Willa had woken him up with her phone call. Willa crossed her arms over her chest as Matt walked around the dead body on her carpet, giving it a once-over, and came to stand next to her.  
“You sure you’re okay,” Matt said, taking in the bruises that were forming on her neck.  
“I’m a little sore, but I’ll manage. Where’s Jack?”  
“He’ll be here in a few minutes, but I am curious as to why he needs to be here. That can wait, however, until you go over everything that happened since I saw you at the bar last night.”  
Willa nodded as officers began photographing the room. Matt took her by the elbow, directing Willa to a chair at the kitchen table and sitting across from her to listen.  
“The bar closed down as usual with Jack as the last one out the door. I came straight home last night and went to bed. It was probably after two in the morning.”  
“Could he have followed you home?”  
“Doubtful considering Jack was following me home. He waited until I was safely in my apartment, and I waved to him from the balcony. After he left, I took a shower and went to bed.”  
“How exactly is Jack Bartonconnected with this? And why was he following you home?”  
“Jack works for my father and was sent here to bring me back to London to see him. Why he was following me is a question you’ll have to ask him,” Willa said, pointing to Jack as he walked in her front door.  
Jack took in the scene, his eyes finally landing on Willa, and walked quickly into her kitchen. He knelt down in front of her and tipped her head to the side to see the bruises on her neck better before speaking.  
“I knew something was off tonight, which is why I followed you home,” Jack said in frustration, “I’m going to get sacked for this one once your old man finds out.”  
Jack’s attitude about Willa’s attack hit her like a bucket of cold water but gave her a large dose of reality on his motives. He was her father’s employee and his job came first. Willa moved to get out of her chair, forcing Jack to stand and move out of her way.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you still have a job. And I’m fine, thank you very much”, Willa said as she stood, patting him sarcastically on the shoulder and turning to Matt without another word.  
Matt hid his smile at her disdain for the visitor and looked at Willa.  
“Let’s table this discussion for later, shall we? Willa, I need you to walk me through what happened.”  
Willa nodded and let Matt lead her back into her living room. The body and everything else lay exactly where she had left it, so the forensics team could do their job.  
“What happened?”  
“Something woke me up, I’m not sure what it was exactly, but I felt like someone was in my apartment,” Willa said as she walked them through coming into the room with a gun, how he had grabbed her, threw her across the room, and began choking her.  
“I was almost unconscious when I realized that I was lying next to the table with the vase on it.”  
“Why was that significant at that time?”  
“I couldn’t reach my gun and there is always a knife hidden in the vase. I knocked the table over to break it, grabbed the knife, and stabbed him through the ear. Then I called you.”  
The crime scene technician processing the body brought the knife over to Matt in a plastic bag. He looked at the knife and then at Willa with a raised eyebrow.  
“So, you have a .45 caliber Glock and an illegal switchblade hidden in your apartment? Are there any more weapons in here that I need to know about?”  
Willa began to move about the apartment without a word, pulling out her weapons before Chief Hartley decided to search himself. Jack and Matt watched in amusement and disbelief respectively as Willa laid the weapons on her coffee table: three pistols, six knives, a 12-gage shotgun, and many others. Willa did not stop pulling weapons out of hiding places until the coffee table was almost overflowing. When she finally stopped moving, Matt looked at her, shocked to the core.  
“Is this all,” Matt asked in disbelief.  
“Yes, Matt, this is all.”  
“Do you really need these many firearms?”  
“When you have a father like mine, yes.”  
“What exactly does your father do?”  
“He’s the Assistant Director of the British Secret Service.”  
“Which is why I arrived yesterday to take Ms. Mercer back to London,” Jack said with his hands on his hips, “something I would like to accomplish sooner rather than later.”  
“This looks like a clear case of self-defense, so I see no reason why you can’t fly to London. Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”  
“I’m fine”, Willa said as she stared at the body on her living room floor with her head cocked to the side. While Matt was focused on her analysis of the corpse, Jack kept his eyes on Willa. She was surprisingly calm for someone who had not only survived a brutal attack in her home but had also killed a man only fifteen minutes prior. Jack could see no signs of, what should have been, a normal case of shock as she walked away from both men to approach the technician near the body. She did not even look shaken.  
“Can you take his mask off?”  
The female officer nodded before removing the ski mask. Willa grabbed a rubber glove and carefully turned the man’s head, revealing a tattoo on the side of his neck.  
“Does that mean anything to you Willa? Do you recognize him”, Matt asked, walking closer.  
“I don’t recognize him, but that is a Russian Bratva tattoo.”  
Those words caught Jack’s attention and he moved toward the body for a closer look. The realization that Russians had traveled to New Orleans with knowledge of her address alarmed Jack, something Willa noticed before he was able to hide it.  
“Does this have anything to do with my father?”  
“That is something we will need to discuss in private”, Jack said, looking at the number of people around them. “Chief Hartley, I would like to photograph the tattoo for my team.”  
“That’s fine. I’ll take all the help I can get. Willa, I need measurements of the bruises on your neck and then you can get cleaned up.”  
“And packed…you aren’t staying here tonight”, Jack inserted.  
“Oh really? Since when are you in charge…”  
Matt saw the argument brewing as Jack and Willa squared off against each other and stepped in, “This is an active crime scene, Willa. We’ll have people in and out of here all night. Check into a hotel and get some rest.”  
Willa acquiesced to Matt’s advice but glared at Jack while she stood having measurements of her bruises were taken. As soon as they were finished, Willa went to her bedroom and shut the door.  
Matt laughed as he gave Jack a sympathetic look and shook his head, “I don’t think she likes you.”  
“I’m not here to be liked, I’m here to deliver Ms. Mercer to London safely.”  
“Some friendly advice, telling a woman like that what to do is not going to work. She owns a stubborn streak a mile wide.”  
“Must run in the family”, Jack said wryly as he sat down to wait.  
Willa got into the shower with the intention of it being quick, but soon sank down on the tile while the water flowed over her. Her father was in a coma, and Russian thugs had showed up in her apartment not 48-hours later. She knew exactly who was behind all of this, but she could not believe it to be true. Willa shook her head quickly to clear her brain of the fog that threatened to overtake it. Now was not the time to dwell on the betrayal that had landed her father in the hospital and a dead Russian on her carpet. She still had to pack and get a hold of Kristen about running the bar while she was away.  
Jack was waiting on her sofa when she came out of her bedroom dressed in jeans, Converse, and a hooded sweatshirt. She was pulling a large suitcase behind her with two weeks’ worth of clothing in it.  
“Ready?”  
“I’m not leaving tonight, Jack. I have to meet with Kristen in the morning to talk about running the bar while I’m gone. I have responsibilities here.”  
“We can leave after you’ve met with her in the morning”, Jack said in surrender because he was too tired to fight with her about it. He walked over and took her suitcase, leading her out of her apartment without another word. Willa followed him down to the waiting police car, wondering where she was going to stay, but his look was not one to invite conversation. They rode to the Roosevelt Hotel in silence.  
“Isn’t this your hotel,” Willa asked as they pulled up.  
“Yes. You’ll be staying in my room tonight. I don’t want your name showing up in the system.”  
Willa was not given the chance to protest because he climbed out of the car, grabbed her suitcase from the trunk, and waited for her by the door. Willa was exhausted, so she followed with a silent scowl. They did not say a word to each other or even look at each other until they entered his suite.  
“I’ll take the couch”, Jack said nodding toward the sofa in the living area of the room. He led her into the bedroom, set her suitcase near the bed, and walked back to the door.  
“Get some rest”, Jack said as he closed the door. Willa stood looking around the room for a few minutes, still in shock from the nights’ events. After using the bathroom, Willa made her way towards the king-size bed in the center of the room. Grabbing an over-sized t-shirt from her suitcase, Willa changed into the shirt and crawled under the covers to pass out.  
Jack sat on the sofa for almost an hour sending emails on his computer, keeping his team apprised of what was going on. He was hoping they could identify the man who had attacked Willa before they reached London. In truth, the attack on Willa had rattled him more than he was willing to admit aloud. Henry had been ambushed barely forty-eight hours prior, and the Russians had managed to acquire her address and get here in the same amount of time he had. Willa could more than handle the situation it seemed, but it was his job to keep her safe considering her father was not able to. If anything, Jack felt like he owed it to Henry to look after Willa since he had not been able to protect her father. Jack shook his head at this thought, reminding himself that in his line of work, pursuing something personal was not wise. This was no time to make it personal. He looked toward the closed bedroom door with a sigh, but his phone ringing distracted him. It was the hospital where Henry was staying.  
“Barton”, he said quickly and then listened carefully has the doctor updated him on Henry’s status. He said a quick thank you and hung up the phone. Jack looked back toward the door before turning out the lamp next to the couch to grab some sleep. It was only then that he noticed the light still on in the bedroom. He thought about just leaving it alone, but he pulled himself to his feet and walked to the door. When a knock did not get an answer, Jack opened the door and stuck his head inside the room. He found Willa fast asleep under the blanket with the lights on. Jack chuckled as he switched off the light and closed the door. Finally making himself comfortable on the couch, Jack fell asleep almost instantly. It had been a long two days.

~~~~~~

Jack was roused out of his sleep by movement in the suite, causing him to nearly jump off the couch in alarm. He heard someone messing with the keys to the door and hurried to position himself behind the door as it opened. Jack slammed the door shut behind the person coming through the door and pinned them up against the wall with his forearm across their throat. Before they could say a word, Jack pulled the hood off of their head to reveal Willa looking at him, trying not to laugh.  
“If you wanted to play rough, all you had to do is ask,” Willa said, her natural humor revealing itself in her exhaustion.  
“What the hell are you doing? How did you get out of the room without me hearing you?”  
“I was hungry, so I went to the vending machine at the end of the hall. You must have been really tired, or I’m that good at being quiet.”  
Jack stepped away for her and ran a hand through his hair, not understanding how he could have slept through Willa leaving the room. In his half-asleep state, Jack lashed out.  
“This isn’t funny, Willa. I don’t want you leaving the room without telling me.”  
“Do I need your permission to use the bathroom, too? I was attacked in my apartment tonight by a Russian thug and did just fine. I think I can manage to walk twenty-five feet.  
“That’s not the point! And how is it that you held yourself against a Russian mobster that outweighed you by over a hundred pounds?”  
“The point is that you’re mad that I was able to get by you without waking you up, when you really don’t need to be worried about my safety. It’s not your job to protect me, considering I can clearly protect myself.  
“And the second question?”  
“That can wait until the flight. Goodnight, Mr. Barton.”  
Willa walked to the bedroom and shut the door without another word, leaving Jack rooted where he was in frustration. He walked to the couch and flopped down to try and salvage the rest of the night. In the end, he only ended up getting another hour of sleep. He spent the rest of the time figuring out how to have a discussion with Willa without getting a well-placed kick to the balls, which he was absolutely sure she could deliver with precision.

Jack was awake by the time the sun came through the window, but he could tell by the lack of moment that Willa was not awake yet. It was six in the morning, so he ordered room service. The knock on the door must have awakened her because Willa came limping out of the bedroom just as the waiter left the room.  
“You look a little worse for wear”, Jack said before breaking out in laughter when he saw her. Her hair was sticking up in all directions as she tried to walk towards him in pajama shorts and an over-sized shirt. It was evident that she was very sore and not quite awake yet.  
“How would you feel if a two-hundred-pound thug threw you across a room? Just stop laughing and give me some coffee. Milk, two sugars,” Willa grumbled, their disagreements from the previous night forgotten.  
Jack smirked at her as he handed her a mug of hot coffee, glad to see a more approachable side of her. She took a sip and eased herself down on the sofa as her phone beeped.  
“Who’s that?”  
“Kirsten. She can meet at the pub in ninety minutes so we will have time to get ready and check out.”  
“Have some breakfast first”, Jack said as he handed her a plate of food. They were settled on the couch and tucking in to their food when Jack turned towards her.  
“I think we got off on the wrong foot. We are both under a lot of stress at the moment. And, I do not want you to think that I’m only worried about my job, because that’s not true.”  
“Okay?”  
“I propose that we forget about last night and start over.”  
“Careful now…don’t tap too much into actual human emotions. You might hurt yourself”, Willa said with a sarcastic smirk and a mouthful of food.  
“This coming from the Ice Queen if your reputation is to be believed.”  
“Eh,” was Willa’s only remark.  
Jack chuckled and continued to eat. Willa attempted to stretch out her soreness and get dressed while Jack showered. Jack made arrangements for their luggage to be sent to the airport as they left the hotel to walk to the bar. Willa walked through the French Quarter as if it was any other morning, with a coffee in her hand, while Jack trailed behind her, keeping an eye on the surroundings. He quietly wondered how she could walk that fast in four-inch heels given how sore she had been that morning.  
“Hey, is there someone you need to call about leaving town? Boyfriend, fiancé? Matt?”  
“Matt Hartley?”  
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”  
“Yeah, that’s a never going to happen. He’s engaged to an NFL cheerleader, and I’ve never been really good with relationships. Explaining what my father does for a living does not just roll of the tongue. I’m sure you understand what it’s like to be alone.”  
“Why do you say that?”  
“I am good at reading people.”  
They stopped in front of the door of Willa’s pub and she unlocked the door.  
“So read me,” Jack said, with a daring glint in his eye. The sudden challenge made Willa narrow her eyes at him.  
“You’re a spy, Jack”, Willa said as she switched on the lights and sat down at the bar. “You left your emotions at the door the day you joined MI6. I’m guessing you grew up in Scotland based on the accent. You attended university before joining the military…I’d guess SAS considering your line of work. You’re well-spoken without the tendency to slip into slang, you dress in a suit like it’s a normal part of your life, and you’ve opened every door for me this morning. All of these things demonstrate a good upbringing and education. You live alone, confirmed bachelor, and rarely see your family. You view women as distractions rather than investments. My father was the same way after my mother died. How did I do?”  
“Not bad on my part, but I would say that isn’t true about your father.”  
“Did he ever mention me before this week, Jack? Did you even know I existed? People in your line of work need to be cold and distant. I mean yeah, he tried, but look at how that turned out? His wife his dead, and he has a daughter he rarely sees. The only woman in my father’s life is the housekeeper, Mrs. Fitz.”  
“Granted that may be true about your father, I would not be so quick to judge him.”  
“I don’t know what you mean.”  
“Since turn-about is fair play,” Jack said, settling in give you a pointed look, “You understand being cold and distant more than you let on. You may not have your father’s eyes, but the steel in them is much like his. You don’t trust people easily and often keep everyone at arms’ length until they have earned your trust. You are a strict but fair boss, though if anyone dared look closely you are extremely protective of your staff. I heard about the guy who groped one of your waitresses, and he’s still in a cast from where you broke his hand. And that is only one of the rumors I heard about how you deal with people who end up on your bad side. I’m beginning to understand how you managed to kill a man three times your weight, but I don’t suppose you plan on explaining it to me?”  
“I do not.”  
“So, either something happened to make you this way or you’re just a…”  
“A bitch? Considering you know fuck all about what I’ve been through in my life, you’re not far off the mark. And you’re right about one more thing.”  
“Which is?”  
“I don’t trust you.”  
The silence that followed was interrupted by Kirsten, who came rushing in ready to take the reins of the pub. It was an hour before Willa was convinced that Kirsten would take good care of her business. They were going to Skype weekly to discuss orders and keep Willa in the loop. Willa left feeling a little more at ease and they took a taxi to the airport where their luggage was waiting next to an MI6 Leer jet. Jack escorted Willa onto the jet and saw her settled on the sofa inside before stepping to the front to talk to the pilot. They were in the air and heading toward London by the time Jack sat down in a chair across from Willa. He noted she looked exhausted, but he needed some information first.  
“Willa, in order to make this go smoothly,” Jack said seriously, “I need some information. Aside from your father, how are you connected to all of it?”  
“The message my father sent, you said you read it?”  
“Yes. My Russian is a little rough, but I know what it says. But it doesn’t make any sense to me.”  
“Knight to King Three. Come, thick night. And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell. That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“The second part is from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. My mother used to read English Literature to me as a child, and it quickly became my favorite.”  
“Okay, but what about the first part.”  
“Well, it’s a long story.”  
“It’s a ten-hour flight, so we have time.”  
“When I was sixteen, my maternal grandparents called my father to come get me. I had become involved with the wrong sort of people that culminated with an assault that landed me in the hospital for two weeks. It was the last of a long line of altercations with law enforcement to include petty theft, joy riding, and drug charges.  
“What sort of people?”  
“People with long arrest records.”  
“Did your father come for you?”  
“Yes. Dad put in his retirement papers and flew me to meet him in Moscow.”  
“Why Russia?”  
“An old adversary from the Cold War had recently retired as well and offered to help set me straight. So, I ended up doing my physical rehabilitation over the course of a winter in a small town outside of Moscow. His name was Yuri Vladimir Gregorin, who I am willing to bet is the same old friend who asked to meet with him before he was shot.”  
“How could you possibly know that?”  
“We spent almost six months in Russia with Uncle Yuri while he taught me to play chess, speak Russian, and an assortment of other skills. Once I was fully healed, Dad and I moved to South Africa. We left with a message the day Uncle Yuri took us to the airport…my father should stay retired and not re-enter the game.”  
“That still doesn’t answer my question about the message?”  
“Yuri always called me the white queen of the board with himself as the black knight. When Dad came out of retirement, we developed a chess code to send messages to each other. The message, Knight to King Three, means quite plainly that I am at risk and Yuri is somehow involved.”  
Jack leaned back in his chair and sighed, suddenly having more questions than answers.  
“Your father said you were the key to finishing this. Do you know what that means?”  
“He must have left something for me to find. What exactly did Yuri give my father?”  
“We have no idea. It was supposed to be checked into the MI6 vault, but he went in and left without leaving anything behind. Is there anywhere else your father would hide something?  
“Not that I can recall,” Willa said, deep in thought about the puzzle her father and presented her with, not realizing that Jack was not finished.  
“I still have a few questions.”  
“Okay?”  
“South Africa?”  
“My dad owns property outside Johannesburg that’s been in the family for a long time. I finished high school there online and then attended university in Cambridge. MI-6 came knocking as soon as I graduated, and he resumed his job. I moved back to the U.S. to spend time with my grandparents before they passed and then bought the bar in New Orleans.”  
Jack was sitting in shock, listening to a very unconventional family history, but he had one more question.  
“When that guy broke into your apartment, you were able to kill him while pinned down by a much larger man. Mind explaining that? Most people would not have survived.”  
“Dad always felt guilty about the beating that landed me in the hospital. He couldn’t fix that, so he did the next best thing by teaching me to protect myself by providing me with self-defense lessons,” Willa said, knowing that Jack was not buying the watered-down storyline for a minute  
“You actually expect me to believe that the only thing your father taught you was self-defense,” Jack asked with a knowing look on his face.  
“What you choose to believe, Jack, is entirely up to you,” Willa said with a smug grin on her face.  
Jack and Willa sat across the plane from each other, mentally sizing each other up, but neither said a word. It continued until Willa’s smug smile split into a very large yawn. Jack chuckled  
“Why don’t you go ahead and get some rest. You look exhausted.”  
Willa nodded and pulled off her shoes. Jack found a pillow and blanket that Willa used to make herself comfortable on the couch. She fell asleep quickly, giving Jack time to check his email. The one that piqued his interest contained Willa’s educational records from Cambridge University. Her entrance exam scores were off the charts and included an alarmingly high I.Q. score. Jack looked at Willa in fascination as he leaned back in his chair. She was a genius, for all intents and purposes, yet she owned a simple bar in the French Quarter. Jack was not sure about a lot when it came to Willa Mercer, but the one thing he was sure of was that she was keeping secrets. And secrets can get you killed.

~~~~~~~

Jack knelt beside Willa, gently shaking her as they approached Heathrow Airport, “Willa, you need to wake up. We are ready to land.”  
Willa opened her eyes and looked at Jack groggily, needing several seconds to remember that they were traveling to London.  
“Did I sleep the whole time?”  
“I’d say you needed it. As soon as we land, I’ll take you to see your father.”  
“Can I have a few minutes in the bathroom after we land?”  
“Of course,” Jack said as he sat back down in his chair so they could land. After they were safely to a stop on the tarmac, Willa took her travel bag to the bathroom in order to freshen up before visiting the hospital. She brushed out her hair, so it hung straight down her back and freshened up her mascara. Willa had chosen skinny jeans, a sleeveless blouse, and leather jacket to wear to the hospital. Casual but very smart looking. She finished the look with a pair of aviator sunglasses and walked out of the bathroom. Jack was not on the plane when she emerged from the bathroom but the door to the plane was open. She sat down to put her shoes back on, noting that her other belongings were already off the plane. Willa grabbed her travel bag and walked to the doorway, finding Jack waiting at the bottom of the ladder, talking with another man. He was tall with blonde, spikey hair. He was wearing a three-piece suit in gray tweed, black shoes, and wore a small gold hoop in one ear. Willa was forced to look up at a steep angle as he was at least six foot, five inches tall.  
“Willa, this is my partner, Maxwell Foster, but we all call him Max.”  
“Well, aren’t you your father’s daughter. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he took her offered hand and kissed the top of it.  
Willa attempted to stifle a giggle, “Likewise.”  
Jack watched the interplay between these two strangers with some amusement and just a hint of jealousy. Willa was smiling, a genuine smile, at Max in way Jack had not seen yet. She seemed to relax instantly around Max to the point that they chatted for the entire walk to the car. It did not take them long to make their way to the hospital where Willa’s father was staying. Before she was completely ready for it, Willa was walking through the Intensive Care Ward and stopping outside his room. She took a big breath, turned the corner, and stop on a dime, the sight in the front of her causing her to visibly start and then halt immediately. Henry Phillips was lying unconscious in a hospital bed with tubes and cords seemingly from every direction. The steady sound of monitors was the only noise in the room. Jack turned to find Willa standing in shock by the door with a hand raised to cover her mouth. He walked back toward her and placed a hand under her elbow.  
“They emailed me this morning that he’s in stable condition. The doctor is keeping him medically sedated to ensure he rests and heals. He’ll be taken off the ventilator when they’re ready to wake him,” Jack said as silent tears ran down Willa’s face. Jack was not sure what comfort to provide her, so he backed away from her, leaving Willa to feel completely alone. She backed out of the room and walked to the bathroom while Jack just stood there, watching. She passed Max on her way but did not stop to even acknowledge him, so he continued to his partner’s side.  
“What happened?”  
“She barely even made it in the room before she stopped cold at the sight of him. Then she started crying.”  
“Well of course she did, Jack. That’s her father lying in the bed, and she can’t even talk to him. What did you do?”  
“I really didn’t…”, Jack started to say before Max gave him a frustrated look. He sighed in defeat and was about to say something when his phone started to ring. Max waited patiently while he answered a call from their boss, who did not sound happy.  
“I have to go into the office,” Jack said as he hung up the phone.  
“It’s can’t wait until you get Willa settled?”  
“Apparently not, so you’ll have to take Willa to her father’s house. I have already assigned Mallory and Travis as the first watch for her security detail. They will be waiting for you.”  
Max looked at him with frustration on what appeared to be Jack passing Willa off on him, but he nodded and walked down the hallway to find her. She was coming out of the bathroom when he found her.  
“Hey Biscuit, are you okay?”  
“It was just a little shocking to see.”  
“I know, but your father’s doing fine. When you’re ready, I’m going to take you home.”  
“Where’s Jack?”  
“He’s been called into the office, so you’ll be with me. You want to say goodbye to your father?”  
“No, I’m ready to go now,” Willa said with a sad smile before allowing herself to be guided out of the hospital and to the same car they arrived in, leaving Willa to assume that Jack had taken a taxi to the office. She was not really paying attention as they drove past St. James Park and stopped in front of her father’s row house.  
“Willa”, Max said quietly as he motioned toward the house. She nodded and climbed out of the car to face the house. It had been five years since she had been here as her father and come to visit her in New Orleans for the last few visits. Willa noticed a car pulling up behind them with two agents inside.  
“They are your security detail,” Max said as they climbed out of the car to help with the luggage. Max introduced them quickly and followed Willa up the steps and inside as she unlocked the door. The house was dark and quiet, the curtains having not been opened yet.  
“Mrs. Fitz”, Willa hollered out but did not receive a reply. Willa led the way into the drawing room and pulled the curtains away from the bay window, letting light enter the house. “She must be out running errands.”  
“I can wait with you until she returns.”  
“No, I’m fine. I need to shower and unpack before I start searching through Dad’s study.”  
“Search for what?”  
“My father seems to have hidden whatever Yuri gave him. He must have known it was a trap and left me some clue as to what the hell is going on. He wants me to finish the game.”  
“The game?”  
Willa smiled at him as her eyes spied her father’s chess board on the drawing room table, a game halfway completed. She picked up the queen-side castle with a smile.  
“The spy game is the oldest game of chess in the book my father always said. Yuri played his last move by taking the white castle, my father, out of the game. My father’s final move was moving his queen, me, out of danger by having me brought to London. Even in a coma, he’s still playing.”  
“That’s because your father is as smart man…with an even smarter daughter I’d wager. We will figure this out. You have my word on that, but I want you to get some rest now. You will always have a two-man security team outside if you need anything.”  
“Thank you”, Willa said with a smile as Max opened the front door to leave.  
“Good night, Biscuit.”  
Willa laughed silently as he closed the door. She sighed once she was alone and walked to the kitchen, finding a note there from Mrs. Fitz. Apparently, her father had given her a few days off to visit her family the day before he was shot. She would not be back until Monday, which was four days away, meaning Willa would have the house to herself. Willa opened the fridge and smiled as the bounty of food in tupperware staring back at her. Mrs. Fitz always left an abundance of food for her father when she went away, knowing Henry could not cook anything edible. Willa saw no reason to call Mrs. Fitz back early, so she grabbed a meal out to warm up and walked upstairs to unpack her luggage. The next four days would give Willa plenty of time to search for whatever her father had left without Mrs. Fitz hovering nearby, worrying.

Jack was in a sound sleep, exhausted from three days without any rest, when his doorbell started to ring. He leaned up on his elbow to see that it was after midnight and that he had only been asleep for a few hours. When the noise did not stop, Jack grabbed his robe and walked to the front door of his townhouse, intent on giving whoever was outside a good row about it being the middle of the night. Max was standing on the other side of the door when he yanked it open.  
“Jack, where the hell have you been?”  
“What the devil are you talking about? And what are you doing here?”  
“Mallory has been trying to call you for the past few hours, and you haven’t answered.”  
Jack stepped aside so Max could come in and then led the way upstairs to his bedroom, “That’s because I haven’t slept since the flight from New Orleans. Director Spencer debriefed me on the mission before having me analyze dozens of reports on the Russian syndicate. Then she wanted a personal meeting about Henry’s daughter, whom she apparently knows and would like to see as soon as possible. I’m under strict instructions to take care of here at all costs. This was the first night that I actually got to come home while everyone had the weekend.”  
“Then it’s a good thing I came over, because Mallory called about Willa.”  
Jack rubbed his face, trying to shake what little sleep he had accomplished away, “What’s wrong with her? She should be at home.”  
“That’s just it, she has not left the house nor has anyone come to the house since I dropped her off three days ago. The housekeeper was supposed to be running errands, but Mallory says she never showed up. Plus, the lights have been on the entire time. I tried calling her myself but no answer.”  
“Okay…okay. Let me get dressed and we’ll go over and check on her. Why didn’t you go check on her?”  
“When Mallory said he couldn’t get a hold of you, I was more worried about you. We know she hasn’t gone anywhere.”  
Jack nodded as he walked into his closet, coming out in jeans, black boots, and a jumper. He grabbed an energy drink out of his fridge and followed Max out the door to his vehicle. The drive to Willa’s row house was accomplished in record time given that it was nearly one in the morning. With little to distract them as they traversed the empty streets, Jack finally had a chance to bring up a hunch that was worrying him with his partner.  
“You should have seen it, Max. This guy was Russian Bratva and three times her size, yet she managed to kill him.”  
“So, you’re thinking that Henry did more than just teach her self-defense?”  
“It’s just a hunch at this point, but yes, I think Willa was trained as a field asset. I mean, the amount of weapons she had in her possession was large, even by our standards, and there’s a large gap in her life where no paper trail can be found.”  
“Something around five to seven years, I think you said.”  
“What do you think?”  
“I think it’s plausible considering who her father is, but I still think you’ll have a hard time proving it given the lack of records on her life. We can’t exactly ask her father. It’s definitely not something to ignore, though. Your instincts are usually spot on.”  
“Let’s just keep this between us, for now.”  
Max nodded in agreement, and both men fell silent as they pulled up behind the car occupied by Willa’s security detail. St. James’s Park was quiet and the streets deserted as Jack and Max exited the vehicle.  
“Boss, I don’t think she’s slept since Max dropped her off three days ago. The other shift said the same thing, the lights are on constantly and the housekeeper has not returned at all.”  
“Why didn’t you call me sooner?”  
“Honestly, I figured you would have checked on her already.”  
Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, taking the well-deserved criticism with grace. She was his responsibility, yet he had allowed his team to monitor her whereabouts without any oversight.  
“Sorry, boss…”  
“No, you are completely correct. She is my responsibility, and I should have been over here to see that she was okay. Let’s get in there and see what’s going on.”  
Jack and Max walked up to the door and knocked but did not receive an answer. Jack tried again, but when his knock went unanswered for a second time, he pulled a pick kit out of his pocket and quickly opened the door. As they walked in, both men noticed the house was dead quiet but every light was on in the downstairs. Jack sent Max upstairs to check the second floor while he proceeded to the back of the house where the kitchen was located. He found a mess of dirty dishes and pans, but the room was empty. He made his way toward down the hallway to find the door of the study open with Willa asleep at her father’s desk. Max had just joined him with the whisper that the upstairs was empty, his eyes following Jack’s pointed finger to where Willa sat sleeping. She was lying head down on the desk, still in the clothes that she had flown in with a half-empty glass of liquor next to her.  
“Go home and get some sleep, Max. I’ll take care of this.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I’m sure. Make sure her security detail is set, and I’ll see you in the morning.”  
Max nodded and left Jack to deal with their female charge. Jack walked into the study and called Willa’s name, but had to resort to shaking her when that did not work. Willa stood up quickly, grabbing the sharp letter opener from the desk, but the lack of sleep and alcohol caused her to lose her balance and teeter toward Jack. He reached out and held her shoulders for stability as she looked around in confusions.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“Considering your detail says that you have not slept or left in two days, I’m here to check on you.”  
“Jack, I’m fine…what day is it?”  
“Well, it’s night really, but we can talk about that tomorrow”, Jack said as he could see she was fading. “Let’s get you showered and in bed.”  
Jack kept one hand under her elbow as they traversed the large staircase to the second floor. Letting her lead, Jack followed Willa into a bedroom that he assumed belonged to her. The walls were a pale green color and lined with built-in bookshelves. There were prints in between the shelves of famous authors. After a quick glance at the room, Jack turned to Willa.  
“Can you take a shower without help,” he asked, silently praying that she was capable.  
Willa looked at him with sleep-induced sarcasm before slowly digging some clothes out of her suitcase and walking to her adjoining bathroom. Jack nodded and walked back downstairs to start cleaning up the mess that he was pretty sure was growing a life of its own in the kitchen.  
Twenty minutes later, Jack had finally gotten the kitchen in somewhat working order and walked back upstairs to check on Willa. He found her showered, dressed, and asleep, sitting on the toilet lid with her head and arm resting on the sink next to it. She was fast asleep, so he gathered her up in his arms. Willa started to wake up and struggle, but Jack held her closer.  
“Hey, sshh, I’m just moving you to your bed.”  
Jack managed to get her into the bed and covered up, but when he moved to walk away, Willa grabbed his arm. She still had her eyes closed but would not let go of his arm.  
“Will you be here in the morning?”  
“Willa, you need to go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”  
Willa let go of his arm and rolled over. Jack looked around and found a sofa occupying the far wall of her room that looked comfortable. He picked up the blanket that was sitting on it, kicked off his shoes, and laid down to salvage what was left of the night. Within a few minutes, Jack was sound asleep.

~~~~~~~~~  
Willa was still asleep when Jack woke at 8 a.m. and quietly made his way out of the room to start breakfast in the kitchen. He walked upstairs an hour later with a cup of coffee to find her still asleep, so he placed the cup on her dresser and went to sit next to her. The movement on the bed made her stir from a sound sleep.  
“Hhhmmm…Jack”, Willa said hazily until she realized that he was actually in front of her. This reality made her jolt violently and move away from him quickly, quite alarmed that he was in her house.  
“And a good morning to you, Willa.”  
“Jack, what are you doing in my house? In my room? In fact, what am I doing up here?”  
“You don’t remember last night?”  
Willa shook her head but visibly started to relax.  
“Your security detail called, so Max and I to come check on you. Apparently, you had not slept since Max dropped you off. We found forty-eight-hours-worth of dishes in the sink and you, passed out at your father’s desk. I woke you, had you shower, and then put you to bed.”  
“And you stayed here?”  
“On the sofa over there”, Jack said as he stood and retrieved her morning coffee. “There’s breakfast ready downstairs if you’re hungry.”  
“But I don’t even remember talking to you last night.”  
“Well you were exhausted, jet lagged, and god knows how much of your father’s scotch you’ve put away since you arrived. I’d say you needed the sleep. And now, you need to eat. I’ll be downstairs in the kitchen.”  
Okay”, Willa said awkwardly, not entirely comfortable with having Jack in her house but glad he had stopped by to take care of her.  
Willa thought about the puzzling relationship that seemed to be forming with the man she heard walking downstairs. She constantly felt off-kilter when it came to Jack because of his treatment with her. One minute he was pawning her off on his partner for meetings, and then he was staying the night at her house, in her room even, to make sure she was doing okay. It made their interactions stressful and tiring to Willa as she never knew how he was going react, like he was not entire sure what to do about her.  
Willa’s thoughts were preoccupied with this terse new relationship as she threw her robe on and walked downstairs to the kitchen. She found a full English breakfast waiting for her on the island that stood in the middle of the kitchen.  
“How did…”  
“Your housekeep left everything needed. When do you expect her back?”  
Willa sat down and was about to take a bite when the kitchen door burst open and small, fairly plump woman with gray hair walked in carrying a suitcase.  
“Mr. Philips, I’m…home”, Mrs. Fitz said loudly but paused upon seeing Willa and Jack in the kitchen, finishing her sentence in surprised whisper.  
“Lady Willa! What on earth are you doing here”, the woman exclaimed as she recovered from her shock, dropped her suitcase, and rushed to give Willa a huge hug.  
“Mrs. Fitz, please don’t need to call me that. And don’t cry”, Willa said with a smile as she returned the older woman’s hug warmly. The woman in front of her had been her father’s housekeeper since before she was born. It was Mrs. Fitz who had enquired after Willa’s grades and well-being after she went to stay with her grandparents. It had been Mrs. Fitz who had flown to Tennessee when they had passed away to attend the funeral with her. It was Mrs. Fitz that had made this place always feel like home.  
“Oh, don’t mind me dear. Why didn’t you email that were you coming?”  
“Well, it was a sudden trip and Jack was sent to…”, Willa started to say but when she turned to Jack, she found a quizzical look on his face.  
“Why are you looking at me like that?”  
“Lady Willa?”  
Willa sighed as a grin spread across his face, Jack putting the pieces together in his mind, knowing he had just been supplied with even more ammunition with which to tease her.


	2. More Than Just a Pretty Face

Jack stood in the kitchen watching Willa become more and more uncomfortable with the situation. Willa looked at Mrs. Fitz in mock frustration before sitting back down in front of her breakfast.  
“My father is the Duke of Pemberton.”  
“So that makes you?”  
“Lady Willa Philips, though there is some talk of my inheriting the title since there are no male heirs, but that doesn’t matter much to me. I’ll inherit everything else without the title.”  
“You don’t seem like a trust fund baby to me.”  
“When my mother was still alive, I really didn’t realize that we were wealthy. I went to a day school near our house in Norfolk and mom drove me everywhere. I had very little access to the wealth and privilege my family had once I moved to Tennessee, and my grandmother controlled what access I did have until I turned eighteen. There are no titles in the United States, so I grew up rather ambivalent to it all. Mrs. Fitz is old-fashioned and still calls me by my title even though I’d rather she not.”  
“Speaking of your father, where is he? And why is Mr. Barton here?”  
Willa looked at Jack to take over the explanation after filling her mouth with eggs.  
“There’s been an accident, Mrs. Fitz. Director Phillips was shot three days ago”, Jack told her gently while he led her to a chair to sit down. She looked visibly shaken as she sat down, her face draining of color. Willa went to kneel in front of her.  
“Dad is in the hospital, but he’s stable. It was a mission gone wrong, but he knew that something was going to happen. He had Jack bring me here for protection and to help.”  
“Speaking of help, Willa, we need to go into the office today for your identification and access card. I’m going to go to my flat and shower, and then I’ll be back to take you to the office.”  
“Sure,” Willa said, though her attention was still on Mrs. Fitz, still looking quite pale.  
“Miss Willa, I’ll be fine. Please walk Jack out.”  
“Okay,” Willa said with a nod.  
They were walking down the hallway when Jack spotted a large photograph of a manor house.  
What is this place?”  
“That’s my family’s house in Norfolk.”  
“You family has a house in South Africa, a townhome in London, and a country house?”  
“Honestly, I don’t think about it much. I have used the trust fund a grand total of twice.”  
“Anything good?”  
“When I started university, I bought a BMW for my first car. Grandma flew over from Tennessee to help me pick it out. After that, the only time I have dipped into the fund was to buy my bar.”  
“Have you ever been there,” Jack said, pointing at the photograph.  
“I was raised there until my mother died when I was seven. I haven’t been there since.”  
Mrs. Fitz walked into the hallway to hand Willa a cup of coffee, having recovered her senses, “Your mother loved Greensboro Hall. In fact, I think most of her things are still there. You should go back and go through a few things. I’m sure your father would want you to have them.”  
Willa nodded but did not answer the statement. Jack, sensing her curiosity about her former home, made a mental note to suggest her visiting it while she was so close before saying goodbye to both women and leaving the townhome.

When Jack arrived back at the townhouse an hour later, he found Willa waiting in the foyer dressed in a blouse and blazer, a black tweed skirt that hit just above the knee, black tights, and heels. Her hair was left down and fell well almost to her waist. When she opened the door, Jack was caught off guard by her appearance.  
“Are you ready to go…um…yeah, are you ready to go?”  
“Yes, I am”, Willa said before hollering behind her to let Mrs. Fitz know she was leaving. She closed the door behind her and followed Jack to his car.  
“You look nice”, Jack said quietly as he held her door open.  
“Well you said we were meeting the Director this morning, so I decided to look the part. Plus, this is kind of like work, and this is what I wear to work.”  
They spent the rest of the ride in silence, in part because Willa had nothing talk about, and Jack could not think of anything to say that would start a conversation. When they arrived, he dropped her off at the security desk for her building identification with strict instructions for her to be brought upstairs when she was finished.  
“You’re leaving?”  
“I have a few things to deal with upstairs while you’re filling out paperwork. You’ll be fine”, Jack said with a reassuring hand on the small of her back and a smile. Willa was about to tell him that this would not take as long as he assumed, but Jack was gone before she could respond. When the guard asked if she had ever been given an access card before, Willa gave him a small smile and nodded to the affirmative.  
It was not ten minutes later when Jack heard a knock on his door and looked up to find Willa standing there with a member of building security.  
“I anticipated for that to take longer”, Jack said with a frown, still needing to get some work done.  
“Well you were under the assumption that I had never been given clearance to this building before. Thanks, Mike”, Willa said with a familiar tone to the security guard as he walked away. She was rewarded with a warm smile before she walked into Jack’s office.  
“I still have a few things to do before we visit the Director, so you could…”  
“I could go to my Dad’s office and wait. I’d really like to see it.”  
“Do you know where it is?”  
“Of course. As I said, I have been here before. I’ll be there when you’re ready”, Willa said before leaving the office without another word. Jack watched her sail back out of his office with a puzzled look on his face. He did not recall having ever known that Willa had been given access to the building before, nor had she mentioned it. She did seem very comfortable with the office and knew the security personnel, but Jack was not able to dwell on this matter as a member of his team came in with a problem.  
Willa entered her father’s office and immediately flipped on the light. The sight in front of her made her smile considering the office looked exactly the same as it did the last time she was here, a week before moving back to America.  
“You’re one of the best computer programmers I have ever seen. We could use you here. Even if you didn’t want to work in the field”, he had said to her. Willa had turned him down, not wanting the same type of life he lived after having experienced the darker side of his job. Willa had stated she was contemplating moving back to the U.S. and her father had said nothing…absolutely nothing. He had neither approved of her decision nor asked her to stay in England to be closer to him. In her heart, Willa knew that he firmly believed she would be safer living elsewhere if she was not going to work for him.  
A wave of sadness came over her as she sat down at his desk. Things could have been a lot different if he had not gone back to work or she had stayed, but Willa could not let herself dwell on the regrets. Willa’s eyes fell on her father’s desk, sparsely filled with a phone, laptop, lamp, and a single picture frame containing a photograph of her on her graduation day. She was standing with her father and both were smiling at Mrs. Fitz, who was holding the camera. Willa began to open the drawers though there was little to find besides office supplies and some files on department policy, which did not surprise Willa considering classified files would not be kept unsecured.  
Willa opened the laptop to find it still on, though it was password protected. She retrieved her purse from the couch and fished out a flash drive that she always kept in her possession. Within thirty seconds of plugging it in and a few keystrokes, Willa was accessing her father’s personal laptop and planting a worm in MI6’s network. While she downloaded her father’s files onto her secure cloud, Willa could not resist taking a look in her father’s personnel files. She was still reading the file when she heard Jack’s voice coming toward her.  
“Director Spencer, she’s waiting in her father’s office.”  
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”  
“What’s the harm…”, Jack said as he waited for his boss to precede him into the office and found her motioning toward where Willa sat, using her father’s work laptop.  
“Oh, I don’t know…that”, Director Spencer said with a chuckle before looking at Willa with a smile.  
“Hello, Willa.”  
Willa smiled, stood up, and walked toward the woman waiting to enveloped her into a hug, “Aunt Moira, it’s good to see you. I had not heard you’d been promoted to Director. Congratulations.”  
“Thank you. I should have guessed that it would take you no time at all to hack into your father’s computer”, Moira Spencer said as she led Willa to the right of her father’s desk to sit down. Jack stood there in absolute shock before walking forward and rudely interrupting their conversation.  
“Aunt Moira?”  
“Yes, Moira has been friends with my parents for years and was even in their wedding.”  
“Why didn’t you say anything? And what do you mean hack into her father’s computer?”  
Willa started the explanation, “Well, I had no idea that Moira was your boss or the Director of MI6, and…”  
“…Willa is one of the best computer hackers in the world. She once set the fire suppressant system off in his office on April Fool’s Day from her grandparent’s farm in Tennessee, leaving absolutely no digital trace.”  
Jack could do nothing but nod his head, but he was certain that Willa was keeping more secrets than just her computer knowledge from him. That did not settle well with him, considering he needed to be able to trust her, but there was nothing he could say with his boss there.  
“Well, I won’t keep you as I’m certain that Jack would like to introduce you to the rest of the team. I’ll have my secretary call you and schedule dinner in the next few days so we can catch up.”  
“That would be lovely”, Willa said before following Jack out of her father’s office. His face had a decidedly cloudy look to it that Willa noticed almost immediately, and she could tell he was angry about the information that Moira had given him. Jack did not talk until they were back in the main office bullpen where his team worked next to his private office. Willa was introduced to several members of Jack’s team who would providing security for her with ex-special forces backgrounds as well as two counter-intelligence specialists. Willa thought they were all very capable agents until she was introduced to technical analyst, Trevor, who seemed rather uncomfortable in front of her. He would not maintain eye contact with her, and she could not shake this feeling that they had met before.  
“So that’s the team. What do you think”, Jack asked as they walked toward his office.  
“Everyone seems competent and nice…”  
“I’m sensing a but to that statement.”  
“The technical analyst. There’s something about him that bothers me, though I can’t put my finger on it…”  
Jack’s face darkened at what he perceived as a snub to a hand-picked member of his team. This, coupled with the fact that she was quite obviously keeping secrets from him, made his temper finally boil over. He was tired of being lied to.  
“Why? Just because he’s not some pretentious, rich prig that went to Cambridge or wherever, you don’t think he can do the job?”  
“That was actually not what I was going to say at all”, Willa said angrily. “You’re taking this very personally, Jack. And I don’t appreciate the back-handed remarks made about my family background.”  
“That’s not how I meant…”  
“Since you’ve so openly decided to examine my family, let’s talk about yours,” Willa said, voice dripping with sarcasm while a mean smile formed on her face.  
“Your family is from Inverness, where your father made his fortune investing in the steel industry. He’s one of the wealthiest men in Scotland, meaning you went to some of the best public schools as well as St. Andrews for university. But unfortunately for you, in the eyes of your peers, you did not come from money and were treated differently because of that fact.”  
“How did you…”  
“You keep making the mistake of forgetting that I am so much more than just a pretty face with an aristocratic family”, Willa said with clear disdain.  
“Willa, I never…”  
“I couldn’t give a damn about my family’s fortune. And just because I have money does not mean I haven’t experienced the absolute worst life can offer”, she said as she backed away from him, “You of all people should understand how it feels to be judged by your background and should be ashamed of yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a taxi home.”  
“What? Why?”  
“Because unlike you, I don’t work here.”  
Jack watched helplessly as she walked out of the office. He knew her security detail would be waiting at the entrance, so there was no immediate threat, but when he turned Jack found Moira standing behind him looking very displeased.  
“While you’re retrieving your foot from your mouth, I suggest you also figure out a way to fix this. We need her on this, Mr. Barton . And you damn well better keep her safe, or you’ll be giving me more than your resignation.”

~~~~~~~~~  
Jack sat in his office the next afternoon, looking out the window in frustration as rain pounded the glass. He had attempted to make peace with Willa the evening before by bringing Chinese takeout over to her house for supper, only to have the door slammed in his face without a word. He knew he had been out of line with his comments and fixing his relationship with Willa was going to cost him. Jack’s ego was going to take a beating, he was sure of it, considering his normal tactic of laying on the charm was not going to work with the woman in question. To make matters worse, Jack knew he had been out of line, and his reaction to Willa’s criticism bothered him. Normally, he would have welcomed a new perspective but this time it had hit a nerve. Jack was still brooding when Max stuck his head into the office.  
“I’m heading out for the night, Jack.”  
“That’s fine. Tomorrow morning, I want you to pick up Willa and take her to the training facility for an evaluation.”  
“An evaluation? You thinking about that hunch again?”  
“Yes. Aside from that, we need to know just how capable she is with small arms training and hand-to-hand skills if she’s going to be involved in this.”  
“I agree, but why am I picking her up”, Max asked before smiling at the frustrated look on his partner’s face. “She’s still not talking to you?”  
“Nope, and I need to figure out how to fix this. A plain apology is not going to do it.”  
“I’ll have her there by 11”, Max said with a wry smile before leaving his friend to mull over how to make amends with their most valuable asset.

When Willa opened her front door the next morning with narrowed eyes, Max through his hands up in surrender.  
“I’m not here to convince you to talk to Jack. We have a training evaluation that needs to be completed today, so go change into athletic clothing.”  
Willa regarded him with a suspicious look before nodding and letting him inside while she changed clothes. Max drove them through London to a building within site of the MI6 headquarters and into an underground garage. He kept the conversation to everything except Jack, not wanting to make Willa even angrier, to include her apparent computer skills. Willa smiled at him in thanks for keeping the conversation light and was happy to tell him some of her more hilarious hijinks from her younger years. They were still chatting as Max escorted her onto an indoor gun range located in the training building. Willa looked around to find a large table set up at the near the front of the range with a variety of weapons on it. There were several fresh, paper targets set up at the end of the range.  
“You can start with whichever one you prefer, but I need to see how many of them you’re comfortable with so please don’t use the ones you’ve no experience with.”  
“Okay”, Willa said as she grabbed hearing and eye protection. She walked to the table where all the weapons were laying unloaded with clips of ammunition sitting beside them. Willa picked up the 9mm Glock, snapped the clip in, chambered a round, and moved to the first target.

An hour later, Max stood behind Willa as she emptied the last round of ammunition that he had given her out of an M4 rifle. He was mildly impressed with her comfortability with weapons, but her spotty accuracy gave him pause. Knowing who her father was and Jack’s report on the incident in her apartment, Max expected her to be an expert marksman. The targets showed something completely different in that she had hit the target with every round, but the groupings were careless with only an occasional round hitting center mass. By the time Willa turned to him, Max had wiped the perplexed look of his face and replaced with a pleasant smile.  
“Well, how did I do? It’s been awhile since I visited the range.”  
“Not bad. Jack mentioned that your father gave you some self-defense training…” Max said but let the sentence hang unfinished considering he had no idea what else to say.  
“Something like that”, she said as she turned back toward him. “So, what’s next?”  
“Hand-to-hand combat training over in the gymnasium.”  
Willa nodded and followed him out of the gun range and down a hallway toward the gymnasium. There were several mats sitting on the floor, boxing gloves, hit pads, and other head protection waiting for them.  
“Let’s warm you up”, Max said as she handed her wraps for her hands and then boxing gloves before picking up the sparring pads for her to use. Max had spent some years practicing mixed martial arts, so it did not take much effort to see that Willa was attempting to mask her abilities. When Max finally called their warm-up to an end, he could tell she was ready to actually take on a real opponent.  
“So, who am I going to be fighting”, Willa asked as he switched out the boxing gloves with fingerless, fighting gloves.  
“Me”, a voice said form behind her, and when Willa turned, she found Jack walking into the gymnasium in athletic clothing and trainers.  
Willa narrowed her eyes but stood by while Max walked over to help Jack pull on fighting gloves.  
“You sure you want to do this,” Max asked.  
“It’s like she’ll answer my questions honestly if I ask outright. I’ve already tried that. You couldn’t find anything, could you?”  
“Nope.”  
“How did she do at the range?”  
“Just good enough to pass muster. I’ve never seen someone work so hard to shoot badly. She could probably hit the head shot every time if need be.”  
“Well, I’m open to suggestions if you can think of any other way to accomplish this.”  
“Sorry, partner. I can’t think of any better way to get answers, but I get the feeling you’re gonna pay a price to prove this hunch of yours. She’s already pissed at you.”  
“I know,” Jack said with a frown as he took in the petite woman standing across the training matt from him. She was already furious with him, and Jack was about to do something akin to poking the tiger while in its cage.  
Willa waited patiently for Jack to join her on the mat. They sparred for several minutes, neither of them going to full capacity while Jack warmed up. He could tell Willa had relaxed when he swept his leg around, taking Willa by surprise and knocking her legs out from underneath her. She landed on her back with a hard thud and looked up at the ceiling in shock before turning her head to look at Jack, who stepped backward while she climbed to her feet.  
“Let’s see what you got,” Jack said, a smirk on his face.  
Willa approached him with a glare in her eyes, setting an increased pace as they continued to fight each other for the upper hand. Jack was impressed with Willa’s skill but could tell she were holding something back. After several minutes, Jack and Willa found themselves in a grappling headlock, and he was tired of her of pussyfooting around. With this in mind, Jack planted his feet and used his weight to throw Willa three feet across the mat. Willa hit the ground hard, laying there staring at the ceiling. for several seconds attempting to catch her breath until she heard Jack snicker. She turned her head to see him standing with hands on hips and a cocky grin on his face.  
“What’s the matter, princess? Can’t keep up,” Jack asked sarcastically, knowing he was goading her into a response.  
Jack watched in surprise as Willa rocked up onto her upper back and used her hands to spring back to her feet. The change in her eyes was almost instantaneous, hooded and cold with little emotion as she walked toward him with purpose. Jack waited until Willa picked up speed to charge her with a smirk on his face. He realized his mistake when she suddenly lept in the air, stepped on his thigh, and landed a hard right hook along the side of his face. The momentum carried Willa to land just out of his reach as Jack swung around to land a retaliatory punch. She hit the ground on her toes, rolled, and came up onto her feet with such smooth movement, one would have thought she was dancing.  
The smile on Jack’s face erased, he moved forward with more seriousness as Willa turned to face him. An intense hand-to-hand fight began at real-world speed. Jack managed to land a round house kick alongside Willa’s face, but when he moved forward with a following Jack, Willa was ready. She caught his wrist, twisted it backward, and used his momentum to twist her body up into the air. Executing a half-cartwheel, Willa wrapped her legs around his neck and pulled Jack forward into a front summersault. Jack landed on his back, wind knocked out of him with Willa’s legs still pinching her airways, while she held his arm in a crossarm bar.  
Jack used his free hand to grab at Willa’s legs, wanting desperately to loosen her hold and gain oxygyn, but they did not give. He tapped her leg in surrender, but Willa did not feel the touch given the adrenaline rushing through her system. She continued to pull Jack’s arm back and squeeze his throat as black spots began to dance in front of his eyes.  
Max, seeing that Willa was not fully aware of Jack’s lack of oxygen, moved to intervene when a loud pop could be heard. The noise snapped Willa back to reality as Jack’s shoulder moved out of the socket and dislocated. Jack hollered in pain when Willa released his arm with a look of shock and regret on her face. Max ran over as Jack grabbed his elbow with his other hand in order to keep the dislocated arm from moving too much. Willa jumped to her feet and hovered over rick with concern.  
“Jack, I’m so sorry,” Willa said tearfully, watching Max kneel next to Jack and put his hands on his shoulder.  
“It’s okay, Willa, I had it coming,” Jack said with a pained smile, gasping and chuckling through the pain.  
“You ready,” Max asked, moving to put his shoulder back in place.  
Jack nodded and bit down on his lip as Max rotated the arm until a loud crunch could be heard, followed by a groan from Jack as the joint slipped back in the socket. Willa watched with tears standing in her eyes while Max helped Jack to his feet, the latter holding his arm carefully against his torso for stability. Jack shot a look of thanks at Max and then turned to Willa with a painful smile. His hair had fallen down over his eyes on one side, but Willa kept would not look at him.  
“Hey,” Jack said, reaching out and using two fingers on Willa’s jaw to bring her eyes up to him, “it’s okay. This shoulder has been dislocated a few times, so it pops out easily.”  
Willa nodded but tears started to fall, unbidden, down her cheeks. She flashed a weak smile and turned on her heel, almost running to the women’s locker room in horror at what she had done. Finding the locker room empty, Willa immediately undressed and stepped into a hot shower, hoping that it would calm the shaking that was quickly taking over her body. She ended up sitting on the floor of the shower with her knees tucked up into her chest. She was not sure how much time had passed before she finally climbed to her feet and showered. Wrapping herself in a towel, Willa walked out to her bag to quickly dry herself off before dressing.  
Willa was still sitting on the bench, slowly towel drying her hair, when she heard Jack’s voice from the doorway, “Anyone in there?”  
When Willa did not answer, she could hear Jack’s footsteps walking closer as he walked into the women’s locker room to find her merely looking up at him. Jack turned the corner to find Willa frozen in surprise, towel in hand grasping her wet hair, before walking to the bench to sit next to her.  
Willa noticed that Jack’s arm was wrapped to his torso with a bag of ice wrapped onto the joint. Once he sat down, she merely looked at the floor and continued to dry her hair.  
“I’ve been waiting for you to come out, but I started to worry when you took so long. This isn’t the first time my old shoulder has gone out of place,” Jack said with a smile as he lifted his arm gingerly, “it pops right back in these days.”  
“I guess now you know that I was being vague about my training background.”  
“I had a hunch that you weren’t being forthcoming but couldn’t think of another way to get answers aside from pushing you to it.”  
“I have a really hard time opening up to people, Jack, I don’t trust others easily.”  
“I couldn’t tell,” Jack said ruefully with a grin that finally made her relax and chuckle softly.  
“Considering you know, do you have any other questions concerning it?”  
“You were clearly trained as a field operative, so why do you own a bar in New Orleans?”  
“I finished my training just before my twentieth birthday and worked as an operative for almost two years. I specialized in assassinations and asset retrieval, but the last mission I executed went horribly wrong. I as twenty-one at the time. A black bag job to track down a shipment of surface-to-air missiles and send coordinates back to MI6. I found them in Syria, not far outside Damascus, but as soon as I transmitted the location my position was compromised. Director Davies ordered the airstrike without hesitation, thinking that the missiles would be moved immediately. It didn’t matter to the government that the missiles were located in a village filled with women and children.”  
“That’s completely mental. Why weren’t you killed in the blast?  
“The hostiles immediately transported me by truck to their headquarters for interrogation. We were still within sight when the first missiles landed, destroying the whole village and everyone in it.”  
“How did you get back?”  
“The air strike distracted the two men moving me, that I was able to break free and kill them. I used their truck to drive to the nearest port and made my way back to England, where I promptly tendered my resignation. Over twenty children died that day, because I wasn’t given the opportunity to remedy the situation. I don’t think I ever really got over that.”  
“I’m so sorry, Willa,” Jack said, taking her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze, “What did you father say?”  
“Oh, Dad never wanted me to become an operative in the first place.”  
“Yet he trained you?”  
“It didn’t start out that way. After the assault,” Willa said softly, ducking her eyes toward her feet, “I was really angry.”  
Jack held on to Willa’s hand firmly as he leaned toward her until her shoulder was leaning against his, “You don’t have to answer this, but I’m going to assume that your assault was not merely physical.”  
Willa felt tears welling up in her eyes as she turned to look at Jack, using her free arm to wipe her eyes, and answering Jack’s question without a word.  
“Dad began training me in Russia as a way to work through and channel my anger, but it turns out I had an aptitude for it. Uncle Yuri assisted to ensure I was well-rounded. By the time the government came calling, we were living in South Africa. It really shouldn’t have surprised Dad that the government kept him under surveillance, but he was still very against me joining the family business.”  
“He didn’t try to stop you?”  
“I have a bit of a stubborn streak, so he merely stepped aside and let me find my own way. When that last mission happened, Dad was there waiting at Heathrow when I landed. He went with me to MI6 to resign and supported me as I decided to attend university.”  
“Wow,” Jack said in genuine surprise at this new perspective on his boss, who seemed so distant most of the time.  
“I know that’s not how you guy see him, I mean, he is your boss.”  
“Sounds like he’s pretty great, so how did you end up in New Orleans?”  
Willa sniffed and smiled sadly before continuing, “When I graduated, he knew that MI6 would try to recruit me again. My computer skills are top-notch, as Aunt Moira explained, so he decided to talk to me himself. They were offering both of us a job, but he was soundly against me going back to work for them. When I said that I wasn’t interested, Dad asked me to move back to the United States. That way he could go back to work while still keeping me safe. Also, to kept his bosses from going behind his back to recruit me. I honestly think it was the hardest thing he’s ever done aside from sending me away as a child, but that’s a story for another day.”  
Jack looked at Willa and saw that she was exhausted from sharing that much of herself with him.  
“I really appreciate you opening up to me, Willa. I know it must have taken a lot.”  
“You really didn’t give me much choice, but it’s nice to have someone to talk to,” Willa said with a chuckle, squeezing his hand once more and then taking her hand back to finish drying her hair.  
“When you’re ready, I’ll take you home. I’ll be just outside.”  
“Thanks, Jack.”  
Jack gave Willa what she was finding to be his trademark, smile that oozed charm as he stood and walked out of the locker room. Willa finished with her hair, pulling it back into a braid while it dried, and walked out into the training area to find Max and Jack chatting while they waited.  
“Well, that’s one way to end an argument. Jack, I think Willa be an excellent addition to the team,” Max said with a kind smile in her direction.  
“I’d say the least, but I would still like to keep her out of the action as much as possible. And away from my personal computer.”  
Willa laughed at his comment before they all headed outside to their respective vehicles. Jack took Willa back to her father’s house as Max had plans to meet his wife for lunch. When he had parked the car in front of her house, Jack turned to her:  
“Are we okay?”  
“Yeah, we’re okay. You have no idea how hard it was to slam that door in your face last night when you had Chinese takeout. Mai Lin’s is my favorite, and I haven’t had it in years.”  
Jack nodded with a smile before saying he would see her later, having some work to finish up at the office.  
“I’ll have some information for you to look at tomorrow, and we’ll see if you find anything we haven’t as far as finding whatever it is Yuri gave your father.”  
“See you then”, Willa said before hurrying inside to take a long bath. Her muscles were definitely going to be sore after the workout she had experienced that afternoon. It was several hours later before Willa wandered downstairs to see what Mrs. Fitz was up to. Willa’s hair was still damp from her bath and lying over one shoulder as she entered the kitchen to find it empty. She shrugged her shoulders, figuring that Mrs. Fitz was out running errands, grabbed an apple of the counter, and made her way into the library. After walking along the shelves and finding her father’s first edition of Oliver Twist, Willa settled onto the large couch to read. It was a huge relief to merely read something for enjoyment after scouring her father’s files for information. She had made it into the second chapter when she heard the doorbell ring, opening it to find Jack standing outside with two bags from Mai Linn’s. He was wearing a three-piece suit without the jacket and his sleeves rolled up just below his elbow.  
“Why isn’t your shoulder wrapped?”  
“Like I said, it dislocates often. I thought you might be hungry,” Jack said, hoping to change the subject.  
“Bribery keep my mouth shut about the shoulder,” Willa asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes.  
“Not this time. I’m on light duty for a few days with orders to rest and ice as needed. May I come in?”  
“I suppose since you brought food with you”, Willa said with a smile as she moved aside to let him in the door. Jack followed her into the library and unloaded the cartons of food on the table.  
“I was not certain what you wanted, but I grabbed Kung-Pow Chicken, Moo-Shoo Pork, and Lo Mein.”  
“I’ll take the Kung Pow Chicken”, Willa said, grabbing the carton and a set of chopsticks. She settled on the couch with her food. Jack sat next to her and almost immediately opened up with a question.  
“You said that you worked as a field operative for two years, but I couldn’t find anything with your name on it after I dropped you off?”  
“Have you ever heard of Agent Sixty-six?”  
“Of course, but…wait, that’s you?”  
“Guilty. Why do you have the Scottish accent but use American English?”  
“Hmm…I lived in the United States between the ages of twelve and sixteen in New York City. My father was working with an American company at the time to improve his manufacturing.”  
“That makes sense.”  
Jack spied her book on the table, “Oliver Twist? I did not see you as a fan of English Literature.”  
Willa chuckled, “My mother was an English Literature Professor and read the classics to me as a child. In fact, that is how my parents met. My mother was on sabbatical at Cambridge University and met my father on a weekend trip down to London. She never went back to the United States.”  
“So the name Willa…”  
“Wilhelmina, after Wilhelmina Harker in Dracula.”  
“I would say Willa was definitely the way to go”, Jack said with a smile.  
They were still chatting and eating when Mrs. Fitz came in the back door. They heard her set some things down in the kitchen and move toward their voices.  
“Miss Willa, I am home.”  
“We are in the library.”  
“I smell Chinese food…ah, Mr. Barton , it’s good to see you”, Mrs. Fitz said as she came into the room and removed her coat.  
“I went to the market for a few things while you were sleeping, Willa. I bought a few pumpkins and a bag of your favorite candy for All Hallows Eve. You have a message from Ms. Spencer to ring her back this evening, and there’s fax waiting for you on your father’s machine.”  
“Do you need help putting this away Mrs. Fitz?”  
“Don’t you worry, dear, I’ll have it done in a jiffy. Check the fax machine before you forget.”  
Mrs. Fitz walked out of the room with a smile. Willa stood and walked into her father’s office with Jack trailing behind. He stopped when he saw the mess of paper work that was spread over the round table in the center of the room.  
“Pumpkins?”  
“For carving jack-o-lanterns on Halloween, of course.”  
“Still looking through your father’s files?”  
“I’ve looked through all of what little documents he kept here. There’s still a safe I haven’t been able to open behind the painting, but for now I’ve taken a break. That mess is all from my pub back home. I have to reorder liquor, food, and other items; plus, taxes are coming due soon. Kristen has been faxing me all of this quarter’s records so I can file taxes. I really should just make her the general manager, give her a raise, and have her do all of this”, Willa said with a soft sigh. It was the first time since buying the pub that she did not want to deal with it at all.  
Jack watched as she grabbed a stack of papers of the machine while simultaneously taking out her mobile to return Moira’s call. After only a few moments, Willa was off the phone and walking back towards him.  
“Moira needs a favor from me but does not want to discuss it over the phone, which is making me highly suspicious that I won’t like this favor.”  
“It could be anything. I can pick you up in the morning if you’d like?”  
“No, I have some errands to run before going in. An old girlfriend of mine heard I was back in town and wants to meet up for coffee, plus I need to get a gym membership otherwise I’m going to go insane. Working out is the only way I know to deal with all of this stress.”  
“Your security detail is going to stay with you but at a discrete distance”, Jack commented, earning himself a frown from Willa. “After the attack in your apartment, I’m not willing to risk your safety. Not only am I genuinely concerned, but your father would kill me.”  
Jack leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek before saying he would see her tomorrow and leaving to go to his own flat. Willa followed him out and closed the door behind him before heading into the library to pick up the leftover Chinese food. Mrs. Fitz was still in the kitchen as Willa threw the boxes away in the bin.  
“Was that Mr. Barton leaving?”  
“Yes. Mrs. Fitz, I think I’m going to head out for a while. It’s been a long few days, and I need some fresh air.”  
“Going back to the bench?”  
“Yes, I think so.”  
“I’ll call you a cab.”  
“Thank you”, Willa said as she walked upstairs to change into jeans, jumper, and knee-length coat. It was late October, and the chill had entered the London air. By the time she was ready to leave, the taxi was waiting for her outside. Willa hopped into the vehicle and turned to notice that her security detail also pulled out into the road to follow her. She knew that it was in her best interest that they come with her, but Willa was sick of the lack of control she had over her day-to-day life over the last few days. She had nearly lost her father and killed a Russian mobster within a weeks’ time, but Jack still refused to see that protecting was the last thing she needed. With this in mind, Willa leaned forward toward the driver.  
“There’s twenty quid on top of the fair if you can lose the sedan that’s tailing us.”  
“Ma’am”, he said with a touch to his cap. The driver hit the gas pedal and the car began weaving in and out of traffic before making a sharp left toward the Thames and an immediate right into a parking structure. He quickly parked the car and turned off the lights until the MI6 agents drove past.  
“Thank you”, Willa said with a sigh.  
“No problem, miss. Now where to?”  
“Tower Hill, please.”  
The cabbie exited the parking structure and made quick time through Westminster toward Tower Hill, arriving in just five minutes. Willa paid him handsomely for his help and stepped out in front of the Tower of London with a small smile. Pulling a hat and gloves out of her coat pockets, Willa made her way toward one of the benches between the tower and the Thames, so she could see Tower Bridge as the lights were beginning to illuminate. She turned off her phone and relaxed as she watched people mill around the grand monument. This had been a favorite spot of her mothers, so it held a dear place in her heart. Willa had just pulled out the novel she had stashed in her coat when she heard an irritated voice coming from her left.  
“What in the bloody hell kind of stunt was that?”  
Willa turned to find Jack, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, standing next to her looking beyond annoyed. Willa’s expression barely registered his anger as she looked back down at her book and looked at her watch. It had only taken him an hour to be notified and track her down.  
“It’s my way of saying that they are unnecessary.”  
“And the Russian syndicate?”  
“Jack, I have no doubt that the syndicate already knows I’m here. I’ve already proven that I can take care of myself, and I find it a little insulting that you continue to assign twenty-four-hour security when it’s clearly a waste of resources. So please relax and have a seat if you plan on staying”, Willa said with an exasperated eye roll as Jack sat down and glared at her.  
Jack sighed in annoyance and looked toward the tower.  
“How about a compromise?”  
“What did you have in mind?”  
“Locator beacon and only a detail at night when you’re asleep.”  
Willa looked up as Jack turned to look at her, reading genuine concern in his eyes. He was legitimately worried about her safety, so Willa felt compelled to nod in consent to his alternative.  
“I’ll have the tech department arrange a subdermal injection before your meeting with your aunt.”  
“Okay. How did you find me?”  
“When the detail called to say you have given them the slip, I called Ms. Fitz.”  
“Figures. I bet she’s going to give me a royal telling off when I get home.”  
“You certainly have earned it. But since I’m here, I may as well drive you home.”  
“I was actually planning on going to sit with Dad for a while after this, if you wouldn’t mind dropping me there.”  
“Of course,” Jack said, standing and offering Willa a hand to get up off the bench. They walked to the car and then drove to the hospital in silence. Neither felt the need to break the silence until the car pulled up in front of the hospital.  
“Do you want me to come in with you?”  
“No, I think I’ll be fine. I’ll just catch a cab back to the house when I’m finished, so there’s no need for you to stay.”  
Jack looked at her with a wry smirk on his face, “You owe my men an apology, you know.”  
“It will be given tomorrow when I come to the office.”  
“Make sure you take a cab tonight and not the tube.”  
“I promise. Goodnight.”  
Jack watched silently as Willa exited the vehicle and walked into the hospital before he pulled away from the curb and made his way home to grab a few hours of sleep.  
~~~~~~  
It was nearly midnight when a phone call from Ms. Fitz woke him from a deep sleep in order to inform him that Willa had never made it home.  
“I’m sorry to wake you, Mr. Barton , but I’m really becoming worried about Willa.”  
“What is it, Ms. Fitz?”  
“Willa did not come home this evening. I really am very worried, Mr. Barton .”  
“I’ll find her, Ms. Fitz. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”  
“Thank you, Mr. Barton .”  
Jack hung up the phone and heaved a heavy sigh as he laid in his bed and stared at the ceiling. It had been a long day and was going to prove to be a longer night it seemed. With another sigh, Jack climbed out of bed and rummaged through his closet to find sweatpants, a shirt, and a pair of trainers. Throwing a baseball cap over his long hair and a coat, Jack quickly left his house and drove his car through the empty streets of London. Wondering why Willa had not returned home, Jack soon had his answer when he walked into Henry’s hospital room to find her sound asleep with her head resting on the bed next to her father.  
Jack stopped just in the door to look at her, hands on his hips in wonder, as he took in the scene before him. Henry was still unconscious, though the breathing machine had been removed, and Willa had turned the chair she was sitting in to face the bed. The book she had been reading lay on the bed next to where her arms were crossed with her head resting upon them, face toward the door. When she did not stir upon his entering the room, Jack walked forward and gently shook her shoulder.  
“Willa, you need to wake up.”  
“Jack,” Willa said as she opened her eyes sleepily and raised her head to look at him, “what are you doing here?”  
“Ms. Fitz called me very worried when you did not come home last night.”  
“Oh,” Willa said as she sat up and stretched her arms above her head, “I must have fallen asleep.”  
“I see that. Come on, let’s get you home.”  
Willa nodded and stood, putting the chair back near the corner of the room, and went to stand near the head of the bed.  
“Goodnight, Daddy,” Willa whispered, kissing the side of his head affectionately and turning to find Jack smiling at her.  
Stepping out of the doorway, Jack motioned for Willa to precede and walked beside her with a hand at the small of her back. The car ride to her father’s townhouse was made in tired silence, much like their car ride earlier in the day, with both trying desperately to stay awake because of the early hour. When they finally pulled up in front of the house, Willa turned to Jack with a tired smile.  
“I’m sorry you had to lose sleep to come get me, Jack.”  
“What’s the loss of sleep and dislocated shoulders among friends.”  
“Are we friends, Jack,” Willa asked in genuine uncertainty as she looked at him.  
“I’d like to think so considering how much of yourself you shared with me today alone. You need a friend in all of this, Willa, even if you do not know it yet.”  
“Goodnight, Jack,” Willa said with a smile and leaned in to place a light kiss on his cheek.  
“Night.”  
Jack waited until he saw Ms. Fitz welcome Willa in with a concerned look and a hug before driving back to his flat to salvage what was left of the night. With only three hours until his alarm was due to sound, Jack decided to forgo climbing back into his bed in favor of collapsing on his sofa still clothed. He fell asleep with Willa on his mind. He was rarely confounded by anyone, but Willa was shaping up to be one of those occurrences. She was both dangerous and vulnerable at the same time, and in his experience, that was a volatile combination.

Willa woke up the next morning to find a message from Jack on her mobile saying that he would meet her at the office. She smiled, inwardly thankful that the goon squad would not be sitting outside her house. Ms. Fitz handed Willa a breakfast sandwich and travel coffee mug as she headed out the door and down the street to the nearest tube station. The sheer ordinariness of her journey to the office put Willa in an exceptional mood as she walked through the security checkpoint and into the first available elevator.  
Moira was pleased to see her in such high spirits as she entered her office, “I hope your mood continues after the favor I need to ask?”  
“Okay”, Willa said in uncertainty as her smile faltered. It only took a minute for her smile to disappear altogether as Moira requested her presence at a Halloween Charity gala for the Great Ormond Street Hospital that was being held the following evening.  
“A charity gala? Why in the world would you want me to attend?”  
“It was your father’s idea to hold an annual charity ball with an auction for the children’s hospital. Since he obviously cannot attend, I was hoping that you would come in his stead?”  
“Aunt Moira, you know these events are not really my forte. Plus, I brought absolutely nothing that is appropriate to wear.”  
“Monica will have a team at the house tomorrow at noon with dress options as well as hair and make-up. I’ve taken the liberty to schedule a massage, manicure, and pedicure at my spa tomorrow morning at nine, and a car will pick you up at four-thirty to you will arrive in time for the cocktail hour at five. I’m sure some of your mother’s jewelry is at your father’s townhouse and would look lovely on you.”  
The look on her face that said she was about to politely refuse, causing Moira to pull out her big guns.  
“Willa, you are part of the aristocracy whether you were raised here or not, and that comes with some responsibilities. We are auctioning off one of your family heirlooms, a pearl diadem that belonged to your great grandmother, and your presence there would alleviate any awkwardness about your father’s absence. Please consider that before making your decision.”  
Willa attempted to resist her aunt’s request, that while heartfelt was loaded with guilt, but the pleading look on Moira’s face did her in.  
“Fine, I’ll go”, Willa said in resignation. Moira’s face automatically lite up which made Willa crack a small smile. “I probably won’t know anyone there.”  
“Mr. Barton and some of the other staff will be in attendance. Crispen has will also be there, and it’s been ages since you’ve seen him. I’ll have him meet you at the door to serve as your escort.”  
“That will take some pressure off at least. How are we going to explain Dad’s absence?”  
“He was called away on business and asked you to step in since you were visiting for the holidays.”  
“Sounds reasonable. When you talk to your style team, please remember to keep my tastes in mind, Aunt Moira.”  
“Of course. Thank you, my dear.”  
“You know I couldn’t say no”, Willa said as she gave her aunt a quick hug and left the office. She made her way down the hallway to Jack’s office only to find him out in the bullpen of desks with the rest of his team. Trevor, the technical analyst, was the only person missing as she approached them.  
“So what’s put you in such a good mood?”  
“Oh, it could be the lack of a security detail this morning. Thank you for that, by the way”, Willa said as Jack led her into his office. Jack smiled, genuinely warmed that his actions had improved her mood and their relationship. Willa, dressed in skinny slacks and a blouse, sat down across from his desk while Jack attempted to locate the file Mallory had just requested.  
“You’re welcome. Trevor is busy, but Max has been trained on placing the tracking chip.”  
“Let’s get this,” Willa said as Max walked into the room with an auto-injector in hand. It took only a few seconds after she rolled up her sleeve for Max to swab the area with alcohol and inject a chip the size of a tic-tac into her forearm. After scanning the area with the receiver to make sure it was transmitting, Max nodded at Jack and left the office quietly.  
“Now that that is out of the way, what favor did the Director want?”  
“To beg my attendance at the charity event tomorrow night.”  
“Are you going”, Jack asked in surprise as he looked up at her as she nodded yes.  
“Aunt Moira already had appointments scheduled for me and a style team is coming over to help me get ready,” Willa said dryly with so little enthusiasm that Jack chuckled in response.  
“You sound ecstatic.”  
“It’s more alarming that she knew she could talk me into it before even laying on the guilt. The appoints have probably been scheduled since I flew here.”  
“Are you going alone?”  
“She’s handled that too, apparently. My date will be meeting me at the door. What about you? You going stag?”  
“No, I have a date.”  
“Oh yeah, who?”  
“Me”, said a snotty, female voice coming from behind Willa. She turned around in her seat to find a tall, brunette woman standing in Jack’s doorway, looking unpleased about the attractive woman in his office. Willa looked back at Jack with an amused snort before standing up to leave.  
“Um Willa, this is Clara. She works in the cryptology department. Clara, this is…”  
“I’m Willa Phillips, Director Phillips’ daughter”, Willa said with barely a glance at the woman behind her but just enough to catch the surprised look on her face.  
“Where’s Trevor? I’d like to apologize to him for my rudeness the other day.”  
“Sub-basement three in his office. It won’t be hard to find, just listen for the metal music.”  
“Easy enough. I’ll leave you to talk with your date”, Willa said, still amused that the woman was glaring at the back of her head. Jack nodded, embarrassed into silence for the first time since they had met. He was seriously considering cancelling the date with Clara by the time Willa had whisked out of his office with a smirk. She heard Jack’s voice rise in volume before his door slammed shut as she walked away. The entire situation made her laugh the entire trip down to Trevor’s office. Jack was correct in that the loud music was not hard to miss. In fact, it was so loud that Trevor did not hear Willa walk up behind him while he was attempting to hack into a syndicate website. The code she saw him using made her stop short.  
“Well I’ll be damned! Today has certainly been full of surprises”, Willa said, startling Trevor and causing him to turn around.  
“Oh…Ms. Phillips, I didn’t hear you come in, Trevor said as he stood up, attempting to block the screen but failing completely.  
“Martin Trevor, as I live and breathe, or would you prefer to be called Cypher. You’re looking spry for a dead man.  
“Pressed into Her Majesty’s Service is more appropriate but faking my death was a necessity. It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Harker.”  
Willa smiled at his use of her online name and held out her hand to shake his firmly.  
“You knew it was me?”  
“You father filled me in when he tasked me with keeping an eye on your online activities after you moved to the states. I don’t think he every truly believed that you had retired.”  
“I figured he had someone keeping tabs on me, though I must say that I’m surprised it was you. How in the world did you end up working here?”  
Trevor motioned for Willa to take a seat next to him and returned to his work while he explained how MI6’s cyber division caught him hacking into the financial records of an esteemed member of Parliament.  
“I guess everyone gets caught eventually,” Willa said in surprise.  
“They offer me a deal to avoid life in prison while still going after the politician I proved corrupt, though they would not publicly release what I found in his financials.”  
“Of course not.”  
“So, I died and came to work here until I’m ready to retire.”  
Willa nodded in understanding and looked at his screen, “What is all this?”  
“Communication files from the Russian syndicate, but they are encrypted and it’s taking a while to decode.”  
“Want some help? Four hands are better than two.”  
“That would be great”, Trevor said as he pulled out a second keyboard and chair for Willa. It was thirty minutes later, when Jack needed to ask Trevor why he was not answering his phone, that he discovered them in Trevor’s office typing away.  
“What’s going on?”  
“Boss, I’m sorry I didn’t answer…”  
“…but we are busy decrypting syndicate files. And here we go”, Willa said confidently as the screen filled with lines of Russian text.  
“I’ll start the program to translate them.”  
“Don’t bother with this one, I can tell you what it says. Yuri is communicating with the Russian government, keeping them informed of the situation. They know I’m here, and it talks about the failed attempt in New Orleans.”  
“I didn’t think the syndicate worked for the Russian government,” Trevor remarked.  
“They don’t,” Jack said. “Yuri is playing both sides of the board. You still confident that he won’t make another attempt your life?”  
“As of right now, yes. I’ll keep my eyes open and let you know if I feel differently. I have some errands to run, so I may not see you until tomorrow night.”  
“That’s fine. I’ll walk you to the elevator.”  
“Sure. See you later, Trevor.”  
Trevor waved quickly before returning to work. Jack waited until they were in the elevator before disturbing the comfortable silence between them.  
“I take it the apology went well.”  
“I may have been a little hasty in my judgement of him.”  
“Hmm. There’s a cab waiting for you”, Jack said as he motioned for her to proceed him out of the elevator. “Now please be careful when you’re out and about today. I can already picture you in some sort of trouble.”  
Willa smiled as she put on her jacket and reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek.  
“Of course, darling”, she said teasingly before sailing out of security with a saucy smile. Jack merely chuckled and shook his head as he walked back inside, knowing that her promise to stay out of trouble held no merit whatsoever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willa had the cab take her straight home after leaving the office, wanting to fill Ms. Fitz in on the next days’ events seeing as how there was going to be a gaggle of people coming over to help her get ready for the gala.  
“Ms. Fitz”, Willa called out as she walked into the house, not expecting the squeal and rush of humanity that came tearing out of the drawing room. Once she regained her balance, Willa realized that it was Christine Watkins hugging her. She had known Christine since they were children, having played with her during visits to her father. They had attended Oxford together, though two years apart in class, sharing a flat near the campus.  
“Oh my god, Willa. Why didn’t you tell me that you were back? Why didn’t you call”, Christine asked in a rush, pulling back to look at her dear friend’s face before pulling her into another hug.  
“Chrissy, I did not come back on vacation.”  
“Oh yes, Ms. Fitz said that your father had some sort of training accident and that he is in hospital.”  
“Yes, they have him sedated”, Willa said as she pulled back to get a good look at her friend. “It is good to see you, Chrissy, but how did you know I was here?”  
“Brandon swore he saw you walking into the tube station down the street and called my mobile, wondering if I had heard from you.”  
“Ah,” Willa said as they went into the drawing room to sit down with her packages. Ms. Fitz left them to catch up while she made some tea. Willa was so busy telling Chrissy about the charity ball the following evening and explaining that she did not feel like going out the present evening, that she did not even notice the bell ring and Ms. Fitz letting Jack in.  
“Willa, the Director asked me to run these by…”, Jack paused when he saw she had company. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”  
“Oh, don’t be silly Mr…”, Chrissy said after giving the man a good once over and flashing him a dazzling smile.  
“Um…Jack Barton , ma’am”, Jack said with a nervous laugh as he looked at Willa for an explanation, who did not even know where to begin as her friend boldly looked the man over. Truth be told, the day was beginning to do her head in.  
“Jack, this is one of my oldest friends, Christine Watkins. Jack works for my father, Chrissy.”  
“I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Jack. You’ll join us for tea, won’t you,” Chrissy said with a grin as she left the room with Ms. Fitz. Willa looked at the retreating form of her friend in embarrassment before turning to Jack, who was trying to stifle a chuckle.  
“Well, she’s interesting to say the least.”  
“Yeah, that’s the polite way to put it. So, what did you bring from Moira?”  
“She said these were a gift from your mother from many years ago, and she wanted you to have them.”  
Willa opened the small box he was holding to find a set of drop-set pearl and diamond earrings inside. She took the box gently from his grasp and looked at them closely.  
“She thought maybe you could wear these tomorrow evening. I think she meant to give them to you today but forgot.”  
“They are beautiful.”  
“Are you alright?”  
“Yes, it’s just these are the first things of my mother’s that I have ever been given. I’m sure father has a box of her things somewhere, but I’ve never seen them.”  
Jack shifted next to her and let her have a few minutes before he cleared his throat.  
“Yes, I’m quite alright. Thank you, Jack, for bringing these over, but you don’t have to stay for tea if you don’t want to. I’m pretty sure Chrissy is preparing an inquisition.”  
“She’s not wrong”, a voice called out from around the corner causing both Jack and Willa to laugh quietly.  
“In fact, Chrissy was just trying to convince me to head out to the clubs this evening”, Willa said, observing how Jack stiffened at the idea of her going to a night club without security present. “She may just be convinced to stay in if you were willing to stay on a bit. Help me keep the social hounds at bay?”  
Jack sighed in mock exasperation but nodded in agreement to keep Willa’s friend occupied. Despite having the reputation of being cold and distant, Willa seemed to have a soft spot where her friends were concerned. Jack was almost positive that it was because she let so few people into her life, a thought that saddened him somewhat.  
“Or will your lovely date be angry”, Willa remarked, throwing in teasing jab at earlier events.  
“Clara is just my plus one, so I didn’t have to go by myself,” he whispered furiously at her before entering the kitchen with a charming smile.  
“And you should be able to tell that she wants to be much more than her plus one. The woman is almost predatory,” Willa said putting a large smile on her face. Jack rolled his eyes at her before thickly laying the charm on her best friend, keeping her entertained for the rest of the evening.


	3. Chapter Three

Willa woke early the next morning in order to fit a run through the park into what was shaping up to be a busy schedule. Showering and changing quickly after a three-mile run, Willa was waiting on the front steps when the car Moira hired pulled up in front of her. She barely made it back to the house before noon, with only enough time scarf down a sandwich provided by Mrs. Fitz before the style team knocked on the door. Willa watched in alarm as ten people walked in with garment racks, totes filled with shoe boxes, and other assorted equipment that made its way up to Willa’s bedroom on the second floor.   
Within minutes of their arrival, Moira’s assistant Madison arrived to assure Willa that it was all under control and had her relaxing a chair with fresh-washed hair before Willa could even blink. Dressed in her robe, Willa sat patiently while a woman named Samantha opened the garment rack to reveal several formal gowns of varying colors and designs.   
“Ms. Spencer was very specific with her instructions about your personal style and said the decision was ultimately up to you, miss. I was told you do enjoy Halloween, being that you spent many years in America, so I thought this might be the best option,” the woman said as she pulled a dress off the rack that made Willa’s jaw drop. It was sophisticated and elegant yet sexy and daring all at the same time, leaving Willa nothing to do but nod in agreement with the woman’s comment.  
“Excellent! Now, do you prefer your hair up or down?”  
“What do you suggest? I’m putting myself in your capable hands considering I have little experience with these types of events.”  
“Ramone,” Samantha said to the hair stylist standing behind Willa, “I think a low bun, just behind her left ear, will look lovely with this dress.  
Ramone nodded and began working on Willa’s hair while another woman began working on her make-up. It was nearly four p.m. when Willa finally stepped into the dress and shoes that Samantha had picked out for her. Willa walked out of her bathroom to find the entire group including Mrs. Fitz a little teary-eyed at the sight of her.  
“What?”  
“You just look so like your mother, Miss Willa,” Mrs. Fitz said, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, “now I have the perfect thing to go with those lovely pearl earrings. Just give me a minute.”  
Samantha and her assistant began looking over the dress to make sure there were no loose strings for fuzz on the surface when Mrs. Fitz walked back in the room with a women jewelry box in hand.  
“This box belonged to your mother,” she said, setting the box on top of Willa’s dresser and pulling out a diamond necklace. She stepped behind Willa, who was standing in front of her full-length mirror, and fasted the chain behind her neck.  
The short necklace chain kept the diamonds just below her throat, leaving several inches between the jewels and the neckline of the dress. Willa looked at the necklace in the mirror and immediately fell in love with it. There were three, cushion-cut diamonds set in platinum each surrounded by several smaller diamonds. Willa guessed that the three diamonds had to be twelve carats each. It was a perfect match to the tear-drop pear and diamond earrings Moira had given her to wear.   
“There. Now you look perfect,” Mrs. Fitz said, her eyes tearing up against as she came in front of Willa and gave her a gentle hug.  
“Thank you, Mrs. Fitz,” Willa said, gently touching her mother’s necklace as her eyes began to fill with years. It was only the squeak made by the make-up artist as she rushed forward prevent any damage to her masterpiece that kept Willa’s tears at bay. With a laugh, she allowed the anxious woman to dab her tears away and fix her eyeliner as Samantha’s people began packing up their equipment. Monica stood by with phone in hand texting the driver to make sure the car would arrive on time and was the only one to hear Willa mutter about the shoes.  
“Man, my feet are going to hurt after wearing these all night,” Willa remarked quietly, leaning down to adjust the sling-back, peep-toe black Jimmy Choo’s that Samantha had picked out. They were nearly four inches in height though surprisingly cushioned on the inside.  
“Grab a pair of flats out of your closet and I’ll keep them in my bag at the gala. After the first hour or so, no one will care what you’re wearing on your feet,” Monica said a sweet smile.  
“You are brilliant,” Willa said gratefully, grabbing a pair of black Converse sneakers out of her closet and handing them to Monica with an appreciative smile.  
“The car will be pulling up in just a minute, so we need to go.”  
“What about you?”  
“My dress is waiting at the gala. Let’s not keep the car waiting,” Monica said, handing a black, pill-box clutch to Willa and leading her out of her bedroom. With a quick goodbye to Mrs. Fitz, Monica ushered her into the car with little fanfare, giving directions to the driver and texting Moira they were leaving at the same time.   
The drive to the MI6 building took very little time, with traffic being surprisingly light, and before Willa knew it, they were pulling in to the complex.  
“The gala is being held here at the office?”  
“In the banquet hall of Building D. It was your father’s idea, actually. The room is really only opened for the annual Christmas Party, and he thought it would be a good use of the space. Ah, here we are.”  
The car stopped in front of the entrance to Building D, which had been decorated in an upscale, Halloween theme, and waited until the driver opened the door to step out onto a black carpet. Monica followed quickly behind with Willa’s invitation in hand.  
“Crispen is waiting just on the other side of security, and I’ll see you upstairs.”  
“Thank you, Monica, for all of your help.”  
“Of course. Don’t forget to come find me when you’re ready to ditch your heels.”  
Willa laughed as the woman walked into the crowd, skipping the security line by showing her identification, and disappeared out of sight. It did not take Willa long to make it through security and into the large foyer that contained a crystal chandelier and two grand staircases leading upstairs. Her eyes scanned the crowd until they found her escort, Crispen, standing near the left staircase in a traditional, black tux. Willa was almost next to him before Crispen found her in the crowd. His face breaking into a wide grin, Crispen stood with his hands in his pockets until she was standing before him with a matching smile.  
“Wow, it feels like I haven’t seen you in years.”  
“That’s because it has been years, ya’muppet, bring us in for a hug,” Willa said, joy ringing in her voice at the sight of the closest thing she had to a little brother standing before her.  
“Mum would never forget it if we rumpled that dress with a hug,” Crispen said, taking one of her outstretched hands into his and bowing to kiss the top of it formally. As he straightened, the wink he gave Willa had them both trying to contain giggles.  
“I can’t believe I let her talk me into this,” Willa said, accepting the arm Crispen offered her and accompanying him carefully up the stairs toward the hall.  
“I must say you look ravishing. You’ll be the talk to the town once word gets out you’ve come home.”  
“Just what I’ve always wanted,” Willa whispered sarcastically before taking a deep breath and allowing Crispen to lead her into a large ballroom filling with people.   
Willa came to a halt and stared in wonder at the splendor of the room before her. It was a large ballroom with vaulted, glass ceilings and three chandeliers glowing with warm light. The entire back wall was made entirely of floor-to-ceiling doors that led out onto a balcony. A large dance floor had been created in the center of the room surrounded by round tables for guests to sit at during dinner and the auction. The room was completed a large bar to one side and full orchestra off to one side. Pumpkins and other assorted Halloween décor had been placed strategically around the room to give it a festive tone without being tacky.   
“Wow, this looks amazing. Your mother has outdone herself this time,” Willa said to Crispen as they both looked around in awe. In fact, Willa was so busy taking in the room that she completely missed the fact that someone across the room was so taken with her that he felt the room paled in comparison.

Jack had been talking with Max and his wife, Debbie, near the orchestra when Willa walked into the ballroom with the Director’s son on her arm. He had been mid-sentence, explaining a funny story about his nephew’s latest round of mischief, but lost his train of thought at the sight of Henry’s daughter entering the room. Max and Debbie both turned to see what had distracted him to find Willa standing near the entrance in a floor-length, organza dress in dark crimson. With sleeves slightly off the shoulder, the organza fabric crisscrossed over her torso into a v-shaped neckline that stopped at her sternum. The A-line skirt flowed effortlessly down to barely brush the floor, making it only possible to see her black heels when she was walking.   
Jack stood in awe, appreciating how effortlessly glamorous she appeared in a dress that complemented her athletic frame, until the sound of Max clearing his throat broke him out of his stare.  
“See something you like, Jack,” Debbie asked with a wicked glint in her eye, having noticed Jack’s reaction when Willa had walked in the room.  
“Huh,” Jack said, still not fully paying attention which caused Max and Debbie to exchange a shared chuckle.   
“I’d like to meet Willa. Let’s go say hello,” Debbie said, taking Max’s arm and leading both men in their direction.  
Willa and Crispin had moved to the left of the entrance, talking to a couple that Crispin knew, when Willa noticed the three of them approaching her. She smiled politely at Max and Debbie before turning her attention to Jack, who still looked gob smacked at Willa’s appearance. The look of uncertainty on Jack’s face made Willa suddenly feel very self-conscious, looking down at her dress to make sure everything still looked good, as Debbie and Max reached her first.  
“Biscuit, this is my wife, Debbie,” Max said as he leaned in to place a kiss on Willa’s cheek with a smile.   
“Willa, it’s such a pleasure meet you. You look wonderful,” Debbie said, leaning in to kiss Willa on the cheek.   
Willa let out a small sigh of relief at their reaction to her appearance, making her feel worlds better as she turned toward Jack where he was standing off to the side.  
“Good evening, Jack,” Willa said, looking up at him and still uncertain about the look on his face.   
“Wow…Willa, you look…you look gorgeous,” Jack finally managed to say quietly, thankful that Max and Debbie were engaging Crispin in conversation and none of them were paying attention.   
Willa blushed slightly and flashed a shy smile at his comments while whispering a thank you. Jack noticed that she was closer to his height but before he could even begin to wonder about the heels she was wearing, Clara and Moira joined them with differing agendas.  
Willa watched in amusement as Clara hurried up to Jack, slipping a hand onto his arm, and flashed a fake smile in her direction. Jack rolled in his eyes in annoyance and was about to speak to ask Willa a question when Moira appeared next to her.   
“Willa, you look amazing. My goodness, Samantha has simply outdone herself this time. That dress!”  
“Thank you, Moira,” Willa said, a little uncomfortable with the fuss Moira was making and the attention she was getting.  
“Come, I have several donors who are anxious to meet you,” Moira said, throwing an arm behind Willa’s back and moving her in the direction of a small crowd standing near the glass doors.   
“Well, there goes my date for the evening. I’ll be lucky to see her again by dinner if mother has anything to say about it, poor thing. She always did hate participating in society events even when she was at university. Avoided them like the plague, and now mother’s going to parade her about like it’s her debut,” Crispin said with sympathy and humor as he watched his mother introduce Willa to some of the guests.   
“You want mine,” Jack quipped, giving Clara a glare that clearly spoke of his frustration with her behavior.  
Clara scowled back in Jack’s direction, dropping her hand and walking off in a huff as the rest of them just shook their heads.  
“That’s a wonderful way to treat your date, Jack,” Debbie said with an incredulous smirk.  
“It’s better than she deserves the way she’s been acting since she met Willa.”  
“Jack’s right, dear. Clara has been acting snobbish, only caring about the prestige of being Jack Barton’s date, and downright rude to Willa.”  
“Oh, well alright then,” Debbie said before suggesting that her and Max go say hello to someone she recognized across the room.  
“So, what did you mean that Willa avoided society events when she was younger,” Jack asked Crispin before the younger man could walk away.  
“She spent so little time here after her mother died, that many people forgot that Uncle Henry even had a daughter. Then she comes back to attend university and was thrust into the social limelight much to her disdain. Being the daughter of a duke comes with a lot of pressure, as I’m sure you’re aware of, and Uncle Henry did his best to keep her away from it because he knew she hated the idea. I honestly think Willa would have been just as happy living her entire life free of the social constraints and responsibilities of being wealthy and titled, but we don’t get to pick our families.”  
“So, are you and Willa close?”  
“Like siblings,” Crispin said firmly, making sure Jack did not miss his meaning in that there was nothing more than brotherly-sisterly love between them, “she’s the sister I never had.”  
“She looks miserable already,” Jack said, watching Willa plaster on a polite smile as she met another group of donors at Moira’s behest.   
“Definitely not how she likes to spend one of her favorite holidays. I’m surprised she accepted mum’s invitation, but I gather guilt was involved.”  
“What does she normally do on Halloween? I know they celebrate it a lot more than we do in the U.S.”  
“I don’t know if she still does this, but Willa used to watch American scary movies like Halloween or Nightmare on Elmstreet and carve pumpkins.”  
“That sounds fun.”  
“Well, hopefully she can still do it tomorrow. I’m going to give mum another twenty minutes before staging some dramatic distraction to give her a breather. She’ll probably head for the bar to grab a drink. Did you really mean what you said about Clara?”  
“Yeah, mate. I should warn you, though, she’s predatory.”  
Crispin nodded with a smile and walked to a small group of guests to mingle, leaving Jack to deal with the fallout of his ruined date with Clara. After several minutes of private conversation near the balcony, Clara stormed away from Jack after being told in no uncertain terms that their date was intended to past this evening. Jack was watching Clara track Monica down to speak about changing dinner partners when he noticed Crispin step in to give Willa a reprieve. He shook his head in amusement as Willa ducked out of Moira’s view and headed to the bar, just as Crispin had predicted, to sit down for a drink. 

Willa made herself comfortable a tall, high-back chair while she waited for the bartender to walk toward her to take her order.  
“What can I get for you, miss? Champaign?”  
Willa’s face started to scrunch into a look of disdain and a very unladylike sound was about to escape her lips when Jack’s voice sounded behind her, his hand brushing against her as he laid his arm across the back of her chair.  
“The lady prefers whiskey. Two Macallan’s, neat,” Jack said with a smile at the bartender as he sat down next to her.  
Willa flashed Jack a tired but appreciative smile, “My hero.”  
Jack chuckled as the bartender set two glasses in front of them, which they both grabbed to take a long sip on silently before merely turning their heads to look at each other.  
“Where’s your lovely date,” Willa asked, laying a hand on the side of her face, resting her elbow on the bar.  
“Trying to switch dinner partners after I called quits to the evening.”  
“You did what,” Willa said, laughing in disbelief.   
“We both know there was only one thing she wanted. And now,” Jack said, turning slightly in his chair to look at the rest of the room, “she’s over there flirting with Crispin.”  
Willa nearly spit out the whiskey she had in her mouth from taking another sip as she turned to follow Jack’s eyeline. She quickly found Crispin standing by the orchestra while Clara flirted shamelessly with him.  
“Wow.”  
“I did try to warn him.”  
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Crispin is a bit of a slut, and I don’t have the energy to do the big sister routine this time around,” Willa said, turning back to Jack with a smile. Jack merely shook his head and took another ship of whiskey. They sat undisturbed for several minutes, talking quietly about nothing in particular, before Moira caught sight of them and rushed over.   
“You two need to go find your dates and your places for dinner. Jack, I put you and Clara at the same table with Max and his wife. Willa, you and Crispin will be sitting at the table next to them with several of the donors.”  
“Thanks, boss.”  
“Moira, couldn’t you move Crispin to sit with Clara,” Willa said, hoping to save Jack an awkwardly silent diner while pointing out the obvious flirting to Crispin’s mother.  
“Oohhh,” Moira said, noticing her son and Clara for the first time, “I see.”  
“We’ve had a bit of a row,” Jack said, finishing his drink and standing up to button his jacket.  
“Unfortunately, changes can’t be made to the seating chart this late in the evening. You’ll all just have to get through the dinner as best you can, so be ready to take your seats in five minutes.”  
Moira walked away without waiting for an answer, leaving Jack to wait for Willa to finish her whiskey. She drained the class quickly and stood up, reaching out to tighten his loose-hanging tie with a smirk.  
“Well, I tried getting you out of it. There you go,” Willa said, finishing his tie with a flourish, “You clean up pretty nice in this suit, Agent Barton.”  
“Thank you,” Jack said as they made their way to Clara and Crispin, “make sure you save me a dance later.”  
“Maybe,” Willa said with a coy smile, giving him a smile as she walked away to follow Crispin to their seats for dinner. Jack held out his arm for Clara, which she soundly ignored and stalked past him to take her seat. Jack sighed and followed, positive that this was going to be the most uncomfortable dinner ever.

Ninety minutes later, a migraine was beginning to form behind Jack’s eyes as his earlier assumption had been right. Though he had attempted to be chivalrous towards his date, Clara had ignored every kind gesture offered and ate in sullen silence until it was acceptable for her to stand and leave the table during the charity auction. When she was out of earshot, Jack heaved a dramatic sigh of relief.  
“That was painful,” Max said, watching the woman go in amusement.  
“What was I thinking when I asked her to be my date?”  
“You were thinking with the wrong body part,” Debbie said into her glass as she took a drink of wine with just the right amount of humor that everyone at the table laughed.   
They all chatted for a few minutes while the auction ended, and the orchestra started to play. Debbie and Max followed several couples onto the dance floor, leaving Jack trying to find Willa in the crowd. After several minutes, he found her talking to a group of older people and walked in her direction.   
“Excuse me,” Jack said, coming up next to Willa and taking her elbow in his grasp, “I’d like to borrow this lady for a dance, if no one minds?”  
They all mumbled that it was no trouble at all as Jack led Willa to the dance floor and swept them both into a waltz before she could say anything. They danced for several minutes in silence before Jack broke it with a question.  
“Why didn’t you tell me that your date was Moira’s son? Someone that is more like a brother to you than anything else?”  
Willa smiled bashfully, looking down at Jack’s chest and then raising her eyes to his with a mischievous glint, “A girl’s gotta have her fun.”  
“Are you flirting with me, Miss Phillips?”  
“Possibly, albeit very badly. I’m out of practice.”  
Jack leaned in to whisper to her ear, “Feel free to practice on me any time.”  
Willa’s face flushed a lovely shade of pink as she laughed nervously. Jack, satisfied with her response, did not push the issue further as he twirled her around the dance floor. Willa was expected Jack to release her once the music stopped, but Jack merely moved them effortlessly into a slower rhythm as the orchestra began a slow, jazz number. Neither of them spoke, as Jack gently held Willa’s hand over his heart and rested his cheek against the side of her head, pulling her in so there was barely any space between them. When the music ended, Jack released Willa with a smile and bowed to kiss the back of her hand. The act has Willa blushing and giggling as he leaders her off the dance floor to where Crispin was waiting with a smile.   
Jack watched from the bar as Willa danced the next six songs with different partners before he saw her dash over to Monica and whisper in her ear. They both disappeared onto the balcony but after several minutes, only Monica came back inside carrying a bag. Jack quickly exited out in the hallway to make a phone call and then walked back through the ballroom. He found Willa leaning against the stone railing of the balcony, looking out over the city with her arms crossed against the evening chill. He walked up behind her, shrugging out of his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders, making her jump a little.  
“Wow, how did I manage to sneak up on miss super-spy? Here,” Jack said as she ran his hands over where the jacket lay across her shoulders, trying to warm her up, “we don’t need you to get sick.”  
“It is a charity gala. In the MI6 building,” Willa said, pausing for dramatic effect between statements, “I guess my guard is down. It doesn’t happen often, so enjoy it.”  
“Come ‘ere,” Jack said, throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her against him as she continued to shiver.  
“I know it’s cold out here, but I needed a break.”  
“How about we get outta here,” Jack said, looking down at Willa with a hopeful expression.  
“That would be amazing, but I’ll need to change my shoes first,” Willa said emphatically as she moved from Jack’s embrace to sit down next to the large bag he had seen earlier.   
“Okay?”  
“I can’t make a break for it in these heels,” Willa said, slipping off the heels and replacing them with the Converse from inside the bag, “or I’ll end up ass over tit.”  
“Alright,” Jack said, waiting till she was done before taking her hand, “let’s get out of here.”  
Jack led her inside to grab her clutch from the table where she and Crispin had eaten dinner. While she gathered up her thing, Jack hurried over to Max and spoke a quick word in his ear. Max smiled and nodded before Jack returned to Willa’s side.   
They both hurried to the door, Jack with a hand on the small of her back and exited the ballroom without a word to anyone. Jack noticed Moira looking his way just before he was out of the ballroom, but he merely gave her a wave and a smile before disappearing from sight. Five minutes later, Jack was helping Willa into his BMW and they were driving through London.  
“So, do you have something in mind for this epic jailbreak?”  
“Yes, but you’re just going to have to wait and see.”  
Willa chuckled but did not press the issue as they drove into Pimlico and parked across the street from a small park. Jack said he would be quick and jumped out of the car, walking up to the rowhouse numbered twenty-five and going inside. Willa closed her eyes and leaned back to relax until she heard the car door open, turning to see Jack climbing back into the driver’s seat and throwing a bag into the backseat.   
“Everything okay?”  
“I just needed to grab a few things from my house,” Jack said, still not willing to tell her what he had planned.   
Willa sat, smiling patiently out the window, as they drove through London. She realized they were heading to her father’s house within a few blocks of St. James’s park. Willa turned questioningly to Jack but could tell by the smirk on his face that he was not going to tell her anything. They parked in front of the car containing her night security team, and Jack hurried out of the car and around to help Willa. Willa, after she was fully out of the car without damaging her dress, led the way across the street with her shoes in one hand and clutch in the other. Jack’s jacket was still draped across her shoulders, Willa’s face took on a curious look as Mrs. Fitz opened the door for them as if they had been expected.  
“Mr. Barton, you go right down the hallway and you’ll find a bathroom you can change in. I have everything set up in the drawing room.”  
“Thank you, Mrs. Fitz,” Jack said, walking past Willa without a word though she did hear a chuckle in reaction to the confused look on her face.  
“Now Willa, let’s get you upstairs and out of that dress,” the housekeeper continued, placing a firm hand on Willa’s arm and marching her upstairs with a look that brooked no argument.  
“What’s going on?”  
“You’ll see,” Mrs. Fitz said, hurrying Willa into her room and helping her out of her dress, “change into something comfortable and I’ll be downstairs.”  
Willa watched flabbergasted as Mrs. Fitz hung the dress up in her closet and left the room to return to the first floor. Willa shook her head with a smirk as she walked into the bathroom to do as she was told.  
Jack was waiting in the drawing room when Willa walked in dressed in cotton, stretch pants and a tank top. Pins pulled out of her hair, so it fell loosely over one shoulder, she padded into the room barefoot but stopped in awe at the scene that awaited her. The table of the drawing room table was covered in newspaper with two large pumpkins sitting on top with candles lit throughout the room. Her eyes fell on a set of carving tools before they moved to Jack, who was standing next to the table dressed in tapered athletic pants and a t-shirt. He stood there, hands in his pockets, with a goofy smile on his face.  
“What’s this?”  
“Crispin mentioned your Halloween tradition, and I thought maybe we could do it together.”  
“Jack,” Willa said, her eyes tearing up a little at his gesture, “I don’t know what to say.”  
“You don’t have to say anything,” Jack said, pulling out one of the chairs and waiting until Willa sat down.   
Jack sat down next to her and looked at the pumpkin before him dubiously while Mrs. Fitz brought them in hot chocolate. The hour that followed was full of laugher as Willa helped Jack carve his first jack-o-lantern. After the pumpkins were placed on the front steps of the house with candles in them, Jack led Willa into the family room where Mrs. Fitz had popcorn and a scary movie waiting on the television.   
“Um…wow,” Willa said, still in disbelief that Jack was doing all of this for her.  
“Pumpkin carving and a scary movie. Did I miss anything?”  
“Nope,” Willa said with a chuckle as she made herself comfortable on the couch.   
Jack started the movie Halloween, one of Crispin’s recommendations, and sat down next to Willa with a huge bowl of popcorn. Willa scooted closer to Jack and tucked her feet up underneath her as she reached for popcorn from the bowl on his lap. Jack, having never seen the movie before, was glued to the screen until he felt pressure on his shoulder. Turning, he discovered that you had fallen asleep with your head on his shoulder and hair falling over your face. Willa had curled herself around Jack’s arm, using his shoulder as a pillow, and fallen fast asleep.  
The entire scene sent a knot straight to Jack’s stomach as he thought about the woman next to him. He had told Willa that they were friends, but that friendship was quickly turning into something more intimate. Willa was slowly letting her guard down for Jack, and act he was certain did not happen very often. It seemed that the ice queen was beginning to thaw, but that realization terrified Jack to his core. Jack had not been this open and flirtatious with anyone since his ex-wife, and that had ended in absolute disaster.   
The thoughts running through his head became too much to handle, so Jack gently stood up and settled Willa on the couch. Pulling a blanket down over her quickly, he gathered up his bag and hurriedly walked toward the door.  
“Mr. Barton?”  
Jack sighed at the sound of Mrs. Fitz’s voice, knowing he had been caught trying to leave, and turned to face her.  
“In the morning, please tell Willa that I’ll be out of town for a few days,” Jack said, turning to leave.  
“You don’t have to go, Jack,” Mrs. Fitz said, tenderness and caring seeping into her voice.  
Jack, knowing that the housekeeper could read him like a book, opened the door without looking back.  
“Yes, I do,” he said, leaving the house quickly to drive to his own flat. Within an hour, Jack was driving out of London toward a house his family owned in Kent. He needed some time to get his head together without Willa around to toss it back into chaos.  
~~~~~~

Five days later, Willa stormed into Jack’s office, fury coming out of her every pore as she slammed the door closed causing the man behind the desk to jump in surprise.  
“You moved my father without telling me, you son of a bitch!”  
Jack’s look of surprise morphed into one of guilt when he realized what Willa was talking about. At first, he thought she was angry about his leaving in the middle of the night, or the fact that he had not answered a single text message or phone call from her in three days. It took a second before Jack realized that he had not informed her of Henry’s instructions during the last three days he had been out of the office.  
Willa, for her own part, had been deeply hurt and confused upon waking to find out that Jack had left without saying goodbye the night she had fallen asleep on the couch. It would not have been so bad, but Jack had followed those actions with ignoring her phone calls and text messages. She had arrived at the office the next day, set on finding out what was going on, only to have Max say that Jack was out of the office for a few days. Max could tell Willa was hurt by Jack’s behavior but had been either unable or unwilling to shed any light on the matter. Either way, Willa’s discovery that her father was no longer in the same hospital effectively erased all her confusion and replaced it with anger. In fact, she was absolutely furious.  
“Ah, yes. I meant to talk to you about your father, but things came up.”  
“Oh, you mean in the five days you spent ignoring me, you could not have taken five seconds to tell me that not only has my father been moved, but I am not allowed to see him,” Willa raged, growing more furious by the second as her temper began to get the better of her.  
“Not exactly. It was a split-second decision that had to be made, so excuse me if I did not take the time to consult with you before doing something that could very well save his life. Next time, I’ll wait, even if it means leaving him in danger,” Jack said, his tone defensive and sarcastic.   
In the back of his mind, Jack knew he had been wrong about everything he had done in the last several days but saying did not cross his mind in light of Willa’s anger. Instead, his good sense fled as his temper rose to match hers. She was not an agent but merely the daughter of his boss, and it was high time they both remembered that.  
“You seemed to have forgotten that you do not work at MI6 and are not part of my team. You are Henry’s daughter, whom he insisted on involving in this mission after he was unavailable for a conversation. As next of kin, the only thing I owe you is a notification. Consider yourself notified,” Jack said, a cold and distant demeanor settling on his face.  
“Wow, you’re incredible,” Willa said in shock, “It was all fake, wasn’t it, Jack? The time we spent together, the flirting, and our friendship, cemented by your British charm, were all a means to an end with the sole purpose of gaining my trust. You’re an ice-cold bastard.”  
When Jack did not respond, merely standing with his hands in his pockets, Willa shook her head in disbelief.  
“In that case, the next time you need to make a notification you can call me in New Orleans.”  
Willa whirled and opened the door, ready to leave the office, when she felt his hand gripping her arm. She yanked her arm out of his grasp and turned on him with the same cold look he had witnessed in the training center.  
“Don’t you ever fucking touch me again unless you want to lose that hand,” Willa said in a quiet, dark whisper that caused Jack to pause and take a step back to give her space.  
“Wait,” Jack said, his calmness slowly returning to him after witnessing the ruthless look in Willa’s eyes. He had not doubt at all she would deliver on her promise, and he needed to deescalate the situation quickly.   
“If I’m only Henry’s next of kin and I’m not allowed to see him, then I have no reason to stay here. You have my phone number if there are any more status updates on Henry’s condition.”  
“And the mission?”  
“You really are thick if you think for one second that I’m going to help after everything you’ve done. Figure it out yourself.”  
Jack stood speechless, not sure how to correct a situation that had spun completely out of control. He had not really meant any of it, but his fear of letting anyone close caused him to be defensive.  
Willa turned on her heel and left his office without so much as a backward glance. Jack followed out into the area where his team sat and watched Willa stalk down the hallway toward the elevator. The entire team stood around awkwardly, looking at each other to find something to say, when an analyst from another team walked up next to Jack.  
“Man, is that girl wound tight or what? She needs to get shagged before she combusts. I gladly volunteer my services,” he said with a laugh, completely missing the look of fury on Jack’s face.  
Max grimaced as he knew Jack’s temperament. It was no surprise to anyone in the office when Jack turned smoothly and connected his fist to the young tech’s face, sending him onto the carpet. He then walked into his office without another word and slammed the door. Max gave the rest of the team a pointed look that said to go about their business as he walked into his own office and sat down at his desk with no idea how to fix the current situation.

~~~~~  
Willa was still fuming as she rode the elevator down to the reception floor and walked through security to exit the building. Her security detail was waiting outside their vehicle where it was parked curbside. She was considering taking the tube back to her father’s house when her phone pinged as an email entered her inbox. Looking down, Willa immediately smiled when she saw the message that appeared on her screen.   
“If you fancy a trip down memory lane, meet me at our café tomorrow morning at 11 a.m.”  
There was no signature below the message and it had arrived from a nondescript email address, but Willa knew immediately who had sent it to her and smiled. Knowing she would need to use her phone, Willa stepped up to the curb and waved down a taxi, climbing in and quickly giving the driver her father’s address. Knowing her security detail was following close behind, Willa pulled open her phone’s contact list and scrolled down till she found the number for her father’s personal pilot and rang his phone.  
“Good morning, ma’am,” a deep male voice answered.  
“Good morning, Gerald. How long would it take to have the plane ready?”  
“Our destination?”  
“Moscow. I would like to leave as soon as possible.”  
“We could be ready to leave in two hours from Heathrow, ma’am.”  
“Very good, Gerald. Thank you.”  
“Yes ma’am.”  
“And, Gerald.”  
“Ma’am?”  
“Please use the name Cassandra Martin on the passenger manifest.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
Willa closed the phone and rode the rest of the way in silence as the taxi wove its way through London’s busy streets. While she had originally planned on simply returning to New Orleans, there was no reason not to take up her friend’s offer to visit Moscow. She may be able to find answers there to explain why her father was in critical condition, answers that MI6 did not already have. The fact that her family had money and means only made taking the trip under the radar that much easier. While she had not been raised with these resources readily available did not mean she did not know how to use them when the occasion called for it.

~~~~~  
Mrs. Fitz stood in the foyer an hour later, a khaki trench coat slung over her arm, as the car she had been asked to order arrived at the townhouse to take Willa to the airport. She worried her lip as Willa descended the staircase, having showered and packed in record time, with a small suitcase in hand. Wearing dark jeans over black, stiletto boots and a blouse, Willa set her suitcase down and put her sunglasses on before accepting her coat from Mrs. Fitz.  
“Miss Willa, I think I have a right to know what’s going on?”  
“I will be returning to New Orleans in the next few days, but first, I need to make a side-trip to see an old friend,” Willa answered firmly, in a tone that did not invite further questions.  
“What about Mr. Barton and your father?”  
“When dad wakes up, I’m sure Aunt Moira will let me know. I’ll be back to visit him once that happens. As for Mr. Barton, he can piss off”, Willa said, putting her coat on and collecting her purse and suitcase from near the doorway.  
“Willa…”  
“Mrs. Fitz, I’ll see you in a few days,” Willa said, sadness apparent on her face but not willing to alter her plans even in the slightest.   
Mrs. Fitz watched in silence, knowing full-well the stubborn expression worn by her young charge meant nothing she said would change her mind, as Willa left the house without another word.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Max was working in his office an hour after Willa had stormed out of the building when his phone rang. Upon seeing the director’s number appear on the phone, Max answered with a sigh and listened to Moira’s curt orders before the line went dead. Max heaved another heavy sigh, standing up and walking to Jack’s office. He walked in without knocking and found the man in question pacing his office.  
“That went well,” Max said, plopping himself in one of the chairs at Jack’s desk while the man himself sat on the front edge and racked his hands over his face.  
“Max…”  
“She’s right, Jack, about all of it,” Max paused and gave his friend a pointed look, “especially the bit about you being a cold bastard.”  
“That’s part of the job, Max, and you know it.”  
“Willa is not part of the job, and you know it. Ever since Leslie left, you’ve been an efficient leader and a great agent…but you’re cold and don’t take other’s feelings into account. When was the last time you asked me about my wife and daughters? Or asked Jordan about his kids? When was the last time you even dreamt of a social life? Or spent some time with your own family?”   
Jack opened his mouth to answer, but he had nothing to offer his oldest friend. He sat down in his chair with a sigh and rubbed his forehead in frustration.  
“I can’t go through that again, Max. Leslie leaving…”  
“…was her choice, Jack. It’s time to move on and look at what is standing right in front of you. Right now, you’re just passing through time, and I’m afraid you’ll be sorely disappointed when you reach the boss’s age and this job is the only thing you have.”  
“You may be right.”  
“You want to know the really sad part?”  
“What’s that?”  
“When it comes to Willa Phillips, your cold exterior is all for show. I saw the look flicker across your face when she accused you of putting on the act. You really do care for her, Jack. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.”  
Jack looked down at where his partner and best friend sat beside him and nodded, signaling to Max that he would take his comments under advisement.  
“Well, now that I’ve had my say, Director Spencer wants to see you in her office right now. Apparently, word has reached her about the argument.”  
“Great,” Jack said, standing a little straighter and fixing his tie.   
Max returned to his own office, and Jack made his way through the building to Director Spencer’s office, where he was ushered in without a word. He found her sitting at her desk, glasses on, holding up a report she was reading. Upon hearing Jack come in the room, Moira lowered the piece of paper just enough to see him over the top of it.  
“Sit down, Agent Barton.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
Moira set the paper down and waited until Jack sat before spearing him with a stern look, “So I received news that there was an incident in your office earlier?”  
“Yes, ma’am. Willa and I got into an argument about…”  
“I know all that already, and I’m sure I don’t have to explain how you handled that situation poorly.”  
“No ma’am.”  
“I’m more interested in your reactions to her. You’re not exactly known for losing your temper, in fact quite the opposite. Your cool exterior and calmness under pressure are legendary, so what is it about my niece that makes you so angry?”  
Jack straightened his tie and shifted in his chair awkwardly as his boss waited for an answer.  
“I’m not sure, ma’am.”  
“I think you can do better than that, Jack. You’ve developed personal feelings for Willa.”  
“That’s not true, Director.”  
“I saw the way you danced with her at the gala, and I must say that you two make a handsome couple. Plus, the way you helped her escape to go do something you knew she would enjoy more.”  
“She’s insufferable.”  
“She’s no man’s play thing, Mr. Barton. She’s smart, witty, and challenges you at every turn.”  
“Not to mention lethal,” Jack added wryly.   
“I’m sure that adds to the attraction. She’s definitely her parent’s daughter, though I do see more of her mother in her.”  
“How do you mean? Willa doesn’t mention her much.”  
“I’ve known Henry since we were children, but as he grew into adulthood, he turned into an absolute prat. He was arrogant and snide, content being a spoiled rich boy until he met Willa’s mother at university. Maggie stopped him in his tracks with her wit and wicked sense of humor. It certainly did not hurt that she was gorgeous, but she wanted nothing to do with Henry. She ignored him until Henry finally realized that if he stood any chance of having her, he was going to have to clean up his act and become a man.”  
“Willa does not see me that way, ma’am.”  
“Maybe not in any way that she realizes yet, but I think she could if you’re patient. Willa needs to know that she can trust you. She has been hurt greatly in the past by men, so it will take more time than most, but I do think it’s possible if you’re patient enough.”  
Jack thought back to their flirtatious banter and how Willa had fallen asleep on his shoulder, leading him to think that Moira had a point. Jack was about to answer when an urgent knock began on the Director’s door and Max hurried in without waiting for an answer.  
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, ma’am, but Mallory just rang with some alarming news about Willa.”  
“Come in,” Moira said, motioning for Max to come in and put the mobile in his hand on speaker.  
“Mallory, what’s going on,” Jack asked in concern.   
“Boss, Willa just left the house by private car with luggage.”  
“Damn it, I meant to call. Willa is flying home.”  
“Boss?”  
“I made a mistake, and this is the consequence of it. Just follow her to the airport and make sure she gets off safely.”  
“That’s just it. She’s only taking a small, carry-on suitcase with her.”  
Jack stood and walked around Moira’s desk, saying a quick excuse me, and picked up her phone to call Trevor, “Could you check for flights booked to the United States under the name Willa Phillips?”  
“There’s nothing under that name that’s been booked in the last few hours, sir.”  
“What about Willa Mercer?”  
“There are no new airline reservations under either name, boss, but give me a second,” Trevor paused as he typed quickly.  
“Well?”  
“There have only been six reservations made for international travel in the last ninety minutes, sir. Three of those include a set of parents with their infant, and the fourth is a sixty-year-old man traveling to Athens.”  
“And the sixth?”  
“A reservation under the name Cassandra Martin.”  
“The destination?”  
“Moscow, sir.”  
“Damn it,” Jack said, hanging up the phone, “Mallory, continue to follow her to the airport.”  
“Yes, sir.”  
Max ended the call and looked at Jack in confusion, “What’s going on?”  
“Willa’s not going back to the United States, she’s booked a private flight under a false name to Moscow.”  
Max looked at Jack in alarm before both men turned and looked at their boss, the former looking at a loss as to what to do next while the later silently analyzed the situation.  
“Are you going after her, Barton?”  
“My gut instinct says yes, but…”  
“But what, Jack? You’re going to let her travel to Russia alone?”  
“Willa doesn’t make decisions like this on a whim, Max. If she’s going to Russia, she has a reason to be going, so I’m going to do exactly what she just accused me of not doing and trust her. We both know she can take care of herself. Have Gregory monitor her credit card activity to find out where she’s staying, and I want a visual confirmation that she’s checked in safely. I also want to be notified when she arrives back in London. Other than that, we’re going to leave her be.”  
“You think she’ll come back?”  
“She’ll need to come back for the rest of her luggage before going home, and I aim to speak to her before she heads back to New Orleans. Other than that, we proceed on this mission as usual. Is that alright with you, Director?”  
“I see no issue with that course of action, Barton. Keep me informed,” Moira said with a nod and sat back down at her desk to continue her work. Max and Jack nodded and left the office, heading back to their own offices to continue combing through the mountains of data Trevor collected in an attempt to find whatever it was that Henry Phillips had acquired the night he was shot.

~~~~~~~  
Jack was still sitting in his office several hours later when a knock on his door pulled him from the files that he was reading to see Mrs. Fitz standing in the doorway looking worried and angry. It did not surprise him that Henry’s housekeeper had access to the building, but her presence at his door did shock him quite a bit.  
“Mrs. Fitz,” Jack said in question, the shock in his tone apparent as he stood and ushered her to a chair across from his desk, “is everything okay?”  
“No, it most certainly is not,” Mrs. Fitz said, pinning him to his chair as he sat down with a glare.  
“I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Mrs. Fitz?”  
“Don’t you try that innocent tone with me, Jack Barton. Ever since you left on Halloween without a word, Willa has barely slept for eaten. And I know for a fact that you’re the reason that Willa has left with hardly a word and no intention to come back aside from visiting her father,” the older woman said sternly.   
Jack shifted uncomfortably in his chair under the woman’s harsh gaze but could not find the words to make a reasonable explanation, so Mrs. Fitz continued. He took a minute to think back to his argument with Willa, and it suddenly dawned on him how exhausted Willa appeared with dark circles under her eyes and a pale complexion. It was not something he had noticed during the incident, but now that Mrs. Fitz mentioned it, Jack mentally kicked himself for not realizing it earlier.  
“Now, I’ve watched Henry trample his relationship with his daughter, but I will not stand by and watch you do the same. If she leaves this time, I will probably see her less than I already do. And unless I miss my guess, you’ll never see her again. What are you prepared to do?”  
“I’m going to fix this Mrs. Fitz, you have my word, I just don’t know how yet.”  
“Your word, Mr. Barton,” she said, standing to make her way home.  
“Yes, ma’am,” Jack said, standing out of good manners as the woman nodded and left his office. He had no doubt that the woman leaving his office could make his life a living hell once Henry was back in the saddle, so he spent the next hour trying to figure out how to do exactly what she had demanded. 

~~~~~~  
Willa’s flight to Moscow and subsequent ride to the Four Seasons Hotel went smoothly and in no time at all, she was safely ensconced inside one of their finest suites and ordering room service for dinner. After enjoying her meal, Willa enjoyed a long soak in the gigantic tub that occupied her opulent bathroom. It was nearly ten o’clock at night by the time Willa emerged from the bathroom dressed in cotton, sleep shorts and a camisole. Wondering toward the windows that led to the balcony, she looked out the window at the wonder of Moscow’s skyline illuminated. Able to make out the top dome of St. Basil’s Cathedral, Willa sighed and let her body relax for the first time in days. Her mindless appraisal of the city was interrupted by the ding of her telephone, telling its owner that a text message had just arrived.   
Willa walked toward where her phone sat on the bedside table and tapped the screen to see the text message notification. Upon seeing Jack’s name appear, Willa shook her head with a scoff as she opened the message to read his lame version of an apology.  
“Willa, you had every right to be angry about your father’s relocation. I don’t know what else to say besides that I am sorry for my behavior over the last several days. I’d really like to talk to you when you have a minute.”  
Willa merely shook her head and shut her phone down completely, not willing to forgive Jack’s callous words and not wanting to be bothered with messages throughout the night. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Willa crawled into the large, comfortable bed and turned out the light. It took several minutes for her to begin to drift into a dreamless sleep with Jack at the forefront of her mind until she nodded off.


End file.
